Graphic presentation of the Alternative Vote wanted by the Lib Dems and to offered by the Conservatives

[rockwell666]

Like many people I've just received the No2AV campaign's latest missive through my front door.

Now read this and see all the lies, half-truths and misinformation it contains:

imgur.com/a/hgmbQ

[neuralwarp]

There have been 4-5 hung parliaments in Britain (FPTP) when over the same period there has been 1 hung parliament in Australia (AV).

[AnnoyingingeXD]

@neuralwarp

So? That means nothing as there are two variables, the voting system and the country.

[neuralwarp]

@AnnoyingingeXD Fair enough - but that's the only evidence we have. We can either construe from it, or ignore it. you're never going to get conclusive empirical evidence from a political analysis.

[irishgodfatherchris]

@neuralwarp the whole point of Preferential voting is to force the winning candidate to have an absolute majority of the vote.

[irishgodfatherchris]

@neuralwarp actually there's been 2 hung parliaments here.

[petehall1985]

I don't know the in's and out's of how they did it but it was daily politics. Please could you prove how it would create hung parliaments ? The question is wherever AV is fairer and better for modern politics than FPTP. I think it is as we have lots of parties, candidates we may like and particular causes we may feel need addressing. AV allows us to show this by putting the candidates we find fit the above best for us. FPTP is outdated and suits a two party system.

[petehall1985]

Tom Harris is wrong. The BBC did a test and found that under AV the only hung parliament since 1970 would be the current one. It would have actually avoided the minority government thatcher had. This obsession with the BNP is driving me mad. We are a democratic country which allows for parties like the BNP regardless of the system you just dont rank the BNP. FPTP works in two party politics and we have lots of parties its an outdated system. VOTE YES

[BleedingHeartYard]

@petehall1985 I don't see how the BBC could have done such a test with any accuracy - do you have further details? Not only would the work involved in trawling back through 40 years of election results far exceed what the BBC is resourced for, but they would need to know the voters' second preferences at those elections (which obviously they don't). It seems self-evident to me that AV must make hung Parliaments more (not less) likely than FPTP.

[hopefultoo]

The BNP would be delighted with AV. There are an awful lot of people who would vote BNP first,and Conservative second, knowing thier vote would go to the Conservatives but expressing thier racist views at the same time. The political parties would see the strength of this viewpoint and become more racist too. Be careful what you wish for!

[cactustactics]

@hopefultoo Yeah the BNP are so delighted with AV they're campaigning against it. Must be great for them!!

[AlexOfArdrossan]

Re: ~2:00 "permanent coalitions": There is no evidence that this would happen under AV. Australia has had only one coalition under AV since 1945; in that time we've had two under FPTP. Even if we did have more coalitions, AV would give minor parties more information about their voters' preferences to help them decide which major party to ally with. FPTP is all very well if there are only two parties to choose from, but that hasn't been the case in the UK for generations.