Older voters could defeat call for election changes

OLDER voters could save the first-past-the-post system by voting no in next month’s referendum, according to a new poll.

The survey by Saga found half of all over 50s are set to vote “no” on May 5, with only 32 per cent in favour of replacing it with the Additional Vote (AV) system.

The findings came as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg came out fighting in support of the change, accusing critics of “distractions and falsehoods”.

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But the Sheffield Hallam MP found himself under fire once more as former Cabinet Minister Caroline Flint – backing the no campaign – warned he was in danger of “damaging politics yet further” by making “overblown claims” about what AV would do.

The bitter exchange comes during a campaign which has become increasingly negative, with tensions emerging within the Cabinet where the Tories are fighting against the change but Liberal Democrats are in favour.

The referendum takes place on May 5, the same day as local elections. Under AV, voters rank candidates in order of preference, and contenders with the fewest votes are knocked out one by one and supporters’ second or third preferences are counted instead.

In a speech Mr Clegg attacked “dinosaurs” opposed to change of trying to create a “ludicrous caricature” of the Alternative Vote, saying they should “grow up”.

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He rejected “brazen claims” that changing to AV would help extremists get a foothold, saying the no campaign was “seeking to reverse the truth” and even the BNP were voting no.

And he dismissed the idea that AV would lead to more coalitions, telling critics to “grow up” and accept compromises in a defence of Liberal Democrat policy shifts over issues such as tuition fees.

But on a campaign visit to Leeds Shadow Communities Secretary Ms Flint, the Don Valley MP, said: “Nick Clegg is the person who’s leading a Yes campaign that says AV would make MPs work harder, which apart from an insult I don’t think is true. Some of the accusations he’s levelled at MPs about the political system are spurious to say the least.”