Hague leads charge against voting reform

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is said to have confronted Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne at yesterday’s Cabinet over the tactics of the “no” campaign ahead of tomorrow’s reform referendum.

The Liberal Democrat Minister is reported to have been slapped down by Mr Osborne, who is accused by pro-AV campaigners of peddling myths about their cause. Mr Huhne’s attacks on opponents have even angered some allies, fearing it will detract from their argument that AV is fairer and would make MPs work harder.

The incident is the latest clash in a vitriolic campaign which raises questions over the impact of the referendum on the coalition.

Liberal Democrats are backing a Yes vote to replace the first-past-the-post system with AV, while the Tories are backing the No camp.

Mr Huhne’s spokesman accused the Tories of “furiously” briefing about a private meeting, but a senior Liberal Democrat source said: “Chris was raising something that Liberal Democrats throughout the party feel very strongly about – the tactics used by the No campaign and was pointing out that the campaign was being bankrolled by the Tories. In my view that is perfectly appropriate.”

Mr Cameron earlier declined to defend the tactics of the No to AV campaign, which has infuriated Liberal Democrats by targeting Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. He said he would answer only for the Tory No campaign – which argues that first-past-the-post is “simple, fair and decisive” – and not for the cross-party No to AV’s more “robust” approach, even though critics argue it is largely funded by Tories.

Mr Clegg told the Yorkshire Post: “I’ve made it quite clear my own view is this campaign should be fought on facts and opinion not lies and misinformation.”

At a final rally in support of the No campaign, Richmond MP Mr Hague said that countries around the world had emulated Britain’s first-past-the-post system and AV was “not good enough”, adding: “AV does not represent electoral reform but a damaged democracy nobody wants. The world would be baffled by it, and rightly so.”

Comedian Eddie Izzard, Labour leader Ed Miliband, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson and former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown held a rally for the Yes campaign.