Keep the Constituency link
9th Jul 2010
"This week saw Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, set out his plans for constitutional reform. This news is important for anyone working in government relations, public affairs and communications management. The major announcement was the setting out of plans for a referendum on replacing the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system with the Alternative Vote (AV) method, to be held May 5th next year. Under the proposed system, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. Should no one candidate have a majority, the candidate with the fewest first preferences is eliminated and second preferences redistributed. This continues until a candidate with a clear majority emerges.
Changing the way MPs are elected will, of course, have an effect on the composition of Parliament. Whilst the system is still likely to favour single-party government, it will also increase the opportunities for smaller parties to gain representation in the House of Commons. In particular, the Liberal Democrats (should they emerge from the Coalition intact) and single issue campaigners are likely to benefit. One key aspect of AV is that it retains the link between an MP and their constituency. The link provides a strong source of local accountability and ensures representatives take a keen interest in the areas they serve. Engaging an MP's interest in the work clients are doing in individual constituencies is key to raising their profile. Working with clients who have local settings at a constituency level, I feel the fact that AV retains this link is important in ensuring their voices are heard."