Details of referendum on voting reform revealed

The public will be asked: "Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the 'alternative vote' system instead of the current 'first past the post' system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?"

The poll, demanded by the Liberal Democrats as part of the coalition deal with the Tories, is due to take place on May 5, next year.

The wording was disclosed in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, which was laid before parliament yesterday.

The question will also be available in Welsh.

The controversial law would also reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600, and create more equal-sized constituencies.

Meanwhile, another Bill introduced yesterday, the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill, paves the way for general elections to occur every five years on the first Thursday in May, rather than at the discretion of the Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the legislation showed that "fundamental reform of our politics is finally on the way".

"The coalition Government is determined to put power where it belongs – with people. You will decide how you want to elect your MPs," he said.

"By making constituencies more equal in size, the value of your vote will no longer depend on where you live, and with fewer MPs the cost of politics will be cut.

"And, by setting the date that parliament will dissolve, our Prime Minister is giving up the right to pick and choose the date of the next general election – that's a true first in British politics."

The Electoral Commission will now conduct an assessment to ensure the question is "intelligible to voters".