A response to Katie Ghose

February 10th 2011 | tags: ,

It has come to our attention that Yes to AV is now claiming that NO to AV has not invited the Yes campaign to attend our Nationwide tour of Town Hall debates (see here for the letter which has just appeared on their website).

Not only is this patently untrue, it is also an unhelpful and counter-productive move from the Yes campaign, which will ensure that people around the country are not introduced to the various arguments for and against the Alternative Vote.

If this is what the Yes to AV campaign would like to see happen, then that is their prerogative; but from the very day we announced our nationwide tour (see here for the blogpost and here for the debates announcement as reported in the media) we have aimed to make these debates free, fair and totally impartial. They will be chaired by a local independent personality and the audience will be drawn from members of the public and NOT Yes and No supporters.

Finally, and in the true spirit of openness: please click here to see the full letter, which was sent to Katie Ghose, Director of the Yes to AV Campaign on 14 January 2011.

It doesn’t benefit either campaign for there to be only one side at each debate, therefore we ask Yes to AV and Katie Ghose to retract their letter and help us make sure that the British public are able to see proper debates, from Yes and No speakers at each of our 19 Town Hall debates.

Matthew Elliott

Comments


  • http://twitter.com/AJRyland Alexander J. Ryland

    Mr ElliotCan I suggest that we bring these debates also to Aberdeen. Consider this an invitation from the Yes campaign here, and feel free to contact us on XXXXXXXXXX

    [Editor: phone number removed]

  • Steve

    I have just posted the following on the Yes campaign site. I reiterate that I am not a Yes or a No supporter, but wanted to express my same disappointment with the quality of debate exhibited here too.

    ————–

    The No campaign have posted a letter on their site dated 14th January where they appear to invite the Yes campaign to attend the series of debates that they have organised.

    I’m making no comment on whether these are by an independent chair or not, and I am not affiliated with the No campaign in any way. However tit for tat namecalling from both sides is not helpful on such an important issue as how our democracy is run.

    Frankly I am very disappointed with the lot of you.

    For clarity, did you receive the letter from the No campaign dated 14th January? What was your response?

  • Uppermordent

    It’s no good having little Town Hall debates. Hardly i% of the population will go to them. We need big debates on TV and radio, then put them out on U-tube for everyone to be able to hear them again.

  • http://twitter.com/lappynet Georgina Hughes

    The Yes campaigners have said that they have not received this letter. You may want to resend it…

    http://www.yestofairervotes.org/blog/entry/yes-camp-challenges-no-to-av-to-free-and-fair-debates-again/#disqus_thread

  • Steve

    Apparently both sides need to have a chat to the post office – or maybe actually pick up a phone…

  • Anthonyblanco

    I am going to vote no because I do not want a system where the least objectionable candidate wins instead of the most popular as at present.

  • Effric

    I have never in my entire life voted for a candidate who as won. The way it works in this country my vote counts for nothing and I gt no represention whatsoever. During the last election no one even bothered to leaflet us as it was assumed the sitting party would get in. There was no one at the polling stations representing the parties. Of course the turkeys don’t want to vote for Christmas. We need a change, but what we need is PR. AV has only been suggested as a sop to the LibDems and they fell for it. And then there has even been an attempt to bring in the same rule that scuppered the referendum on Scottish independance knowing that there is no way enough people will turn out to vote. The politicians need to get people interested in voting again. To do this they need to make people feel their vote counts, they need people to know they are listened to, they need to stop lying about everything, they need to stop claiming such large expenses, and they need to stop treating the public a some lower form of life.

  • James

    I consider Proportional Representation to be even worse than AV. Depending on which method of PR chosen, it is likely that the parties will be able to select whomever they choose to sit in Parliament, given a big enough percentage of the vote. More over, PR destroys the relationship between the MP and his/her constituency. Instead of doing what is right for the people of his/her constituency, the MP will nonchalantly follow the party line, as party membership is the way to get elected, not popularity in your district. A vote for PR is a vote for extremist parties. Our laws are dependent upon objective factors, like “the actions of the reasonable man”, so too should our voting system. Finally, (from what I can tell) the country is not best pleased with the Coalition we have now. PR (and AV for that matter) would almost guarantee Coalitions permanently. And, as we have seen, Coalitions mesh their manifestos together as best they can, but just end up disappointing everyone.

  • Mike de Berry

    I personally think the question of how an election should be conducted,should be entered in the census form?The results could be correlated and published.I think any change should be very well considered.
    Public debate in town forums,are only valid if carried out in such a manner that everyone can have their say? At present the debate only reaches a select few.

  • Effric

    That is a an excellent idea, I wish I had thought of it. It is a much more important question than many of them are.

  • Kal

    Vote ‘NO’ to AV don’t let Nick Clegg his way!

  • Melliott23

    with the video interviews it would be better to see a wider section of the public giving their views not just white collar workers

  • Sally

    I wish to vote for one candidate only. I do not wish to express any preference for any candidate or any party other than the one of which I am a member. There would be no validity in voting for any of the main parties or for a fringe party as far as I am concerned.

    AV is alien to this country and indeed to practically every other country in the world and let it remain so here. But I am concerned that there is no lower limit for turnout.