I am sure UNISON will think long and hard before deciding whether or not to recommend to its members a position on the Alternative Vote Referendum. All of the technical reasons for and against have been laid out so I would not take up members time repeating them.
Before UNISON's NEC decide however whether or not they make a recommendation to its members they should perhaps remember two things. Firstly, UNISON uses a First Past the Post system to elect its own General Secretary and its National Executive Council, so why would they be of the opinion that First Past the Post is not a fair and acceptable voting system?
More importantly UNISON should remember the words of Vince Cable 'it is not our manifesto that is binding upon us but the coalition agreement.' Vince Cable meant that the promises his party made before the General Election were worthless. As soon as the tedious requirement for an election was past the voters were no longer important.
The Liberal Democrats are desperate for any system that allows them to cling on to power. To do this they will talk progressively at election times but will then do whatever sordid deal is required with the Tories in order to put them into Whithall.
AV means taking power away from voters and putting it into the hands of those politicians who believe that is they who know best, not the voters.
In Government the Liberal Democrats have launched attack after attack on our members. In by-elections and opinion polls the public are giving their response to the betrayal that the Liberal Democrats have perpetrated on them.
Nick Clegg and his cronies are desperate for a voting system that gives them the chance of clinging on to power at the expense of our members jobs and pensions and our communities public services. Why would UNISON offer them a straw to cluch at?
Gordon McKay
