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Original poster

Britain says no to AV

18 replies

Mummasmurf · 06/05/2011 20:27

As we all knew we would. What price did Mr Clegg pay for having this silly referendum?

He sacrificed his pledge on student tuition fees in order to win the right to have this referendum and now he's lost that too, in addition to his credibility.

OP posts:

southeastastra · 06/05/2011 20:27

kill him

Bucharest · 06/05/2011 20:28

I'll do it!

Bucharest · 06/05/2011 20:30

What a difference 365 days makes huh Cleggy? This time last year, literally the world in your hands.....and this year.....well, at least you got to go to the wedding.That'll be something nice for you and Miriam to look back on when you're "spending more time with your family".

Tidey · 06/05/2011 20:30

Thing is, I wonder how many people actually voted No, and how many voted no by not voting? Not that it matters I suppose. Silly little man.

southeastastra · 06/05/2011 20:34

i was at a count today and there were alot of no's

Tidey · 06/05/2011 20:39

There would be, I suppose I just mean a lot of people just couldn't be arsed either way so didn't vote. Does that mean they were happy with the current system so just assumed that's the way it would go so they didn't need to vote, or just care enough about AV enough to vote Yes? If that makes any sense.

edam · 06/05/2011 20:40

at Bucharest.

Tidey, people have actually voted 'no' www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13297573 in huge numbers. Turn out was quite high. This is a decisive result.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 06/05/2011 20:47

Had to laugh though at paddy Ashdown blaming Labor for the defeat , and the fact that it was held at the 'wrong time.' Apparently, he advised for it to be held in September and not at the same time as local elections.

edam · 06/05/2011 20:50

yeah, it couldn't possibly be his party's fault, could it? Dear Pantsdown, he's trying to make the best of a job so bad even cowboy builders would disown it...

melpomene · 06/05/2011 20:52

I don't understand the argument that it shouldn't be at the same time as local elections. Surely combining the elections will reduce costs and improve the turn out?

A resounding defeat, though - Clegg has really ballsed everything up.

eggsit · 06/05/2011 21:29

But the media were so quiet about av! There were a couple of pages explaining it in the paper, and a couple of TV programmes. Hardly the stuff to incite voters, and get them steamed up about voting yeah or nay!

Did the powers-that-be stifle full media coverage (thinking that the powers-that-be were going to vote 'no')?

Yes, Cleggy is a silly man, and the council elections show that the libdems should have been hanging their hat with labour rather than the tories.

Thruaglassdarkly · 06/05/2011 23:07

Eggsit
"the council elections show that the libdems should have been hanging their hat with labour rather than the tories".
Nah! Would've been horrific to think that the second and third place winners effectively "won" the last election by joining forces. They still didn't have enough seats anyway and would've had to cobble together some of the fringe seats. This is why people voted NO today. A sense of fair play. The one with the most should get the prize.

Chil1234 · 07/05/2011 07:17

Not only Clegg but also Milliband judged the mood of the country completely wrongly. One big reason it failed was because the 'yes' campaign didn't really believe in it and therefore failed to make their case. Clegg himself called it a 'miserable little compromise'. And another reason it failed was because we all have far bigger concerns than the tweaking the voting system.

Whilst Clegg's party suffered crushing defeats yesterday both in the council elections and the referendum, I think the man looking over his shoulder today is Milliband. Gubbed in Scotland, defeated over the referendum and no sign of a collapse in Conservative support.... interesting times ahead for young Ed

Chil1234 · 07/05/2011 07:21

"Did the powers-that-be stifle full media coverage"... I heard and read a lot about the AV referendum in the run-up. Especially when Chris Huhne got his handbag out at the cabinet meeting. Up until then it was quite a dry, mathematical argument with very little emotion on either side. It was also fighting for coverage in the face of the Royal Wedding, local elections and the Bin Laden killing, but there was still plenty of explanations about.

londonartemis · 07/05/2011 19:15

I guess the reason Ashdown wanted the vote in September is tht there would be no other election at the same time (as in London this time). Therefore he would bank on the turnout being low apart from people who would not need much encouragement to be out voting - namely the Yes camp.

scaryteacher · 07/05/2011 21:38

'Thing is, I wonder how many people actually voted No,', me , my dh and my Mum, and dh and I ensured that we voted by postal proxy as we are not in UK.

NetworkGuy · 09/05/2011 10:58

It's fairly typical that 'stick in the muds' would vote no, but if alternatives to first-past-the-post work OK in NI, Scotland and Wales, then it will come, eventually, even if you don't like it :)

scaryteacher · 09/05/2011 14:02

How very dismissive of you - why is it 'stick in the muds' who vote no? It could equally be a thought out position as AV has little to recommend it.

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