Clegg admits voting reform agenda may be blocked by Tories

NICK CLEGG yesterday offered sweeping voting reforms but Britain’s deputy prime minister admitted they may never come to fruition because of differences with his coalition partners.

The Liberal Democrat-Conservative government, formed after the May 6 general election failed to produce an outright winner, has promised to give voters the chance to change Britain’s first-past-the-post electoral system.

On offer would be a switch to an “alternative vote” method, under which members of parliament would need at least 50% of the vote in their constituency to be elected.

The existing system tends to favour a two-party contest and a single party government. It only requires candidates to win more votes than any other single opponent and has become skewed because of population movements.

The Conservative Party, which won the most seats in the election, agreed in its coalition deal with the Lib Dems to a referendum on voting reform, but it is likely to urge voters to reject the new system.

“(Conservative Prime Minister) David Cameron and I are very relaxed about the fact we may be arguing different cases in that referendum,” Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, said.

His party won nearly a quarter of the vote in this month’s election but took less than 10% of the seats in parliament.

“My position is clear: the current voting system, first past the post, is a major block to lasting political change,” said Clegg.

Britain has little experience of coalition governments – this is the first since the end of World War Two – and while the Conservatives and Lib Dems have promised to work together in the national interest for a whole term, the test will come when parliament has to vote on key legislation.

A lack of support on areas such as the economy and political reform could force a vote of no confidence in the coalition and trigger another election.

Another area of contention is likely to be the possible creation of a British bill of rights to supersede European laws protecting human rights.

Fresh strains were showing in the coalition as senior Tory MPs expressed “dismay” that its plans to overhaul the Human Rights Act had been put on a backburner.

Clegg risked further antagonising Conservative backbenchers after he issued a warning that they tampered with the act “at their peril”.

The commitment to repeal the act – which enshrines the European Convention on Human Rights in British law – and replace it with a British Bill of Rights was a key commitment in the Conservative manifesto.

But it emerged yesterday the coalition had set up a commission to look at whether there was a case for new legislation.

The controversy flared as Clegg and Cameron prepared to unveil the final coalition document today.

Tory MP Bill Cash – who, as shadow attorney general, had been instrumental in drawing up the original Conservative policy in opposition – said that he was “dismayed” at the latest developments.

He warned that there was “very acute” concern among Conservative MPs that the party’s position was being watered down.

“I think our manifesto commitment was crystal clear. It said that we would replace the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights.” Asked about Clegg’s warning not to “tamper” with the act, Cash said: “That is the view of Nick Clegg, it was not in my manifesto or my election address.”