The AV Campaign

There has been quite a lot of comment about the pathetic campaigns run by both the "No" and "Yes" camps. The two broadcasts I have seen treat the voters, essentially, as idiots. The "Yes" people seem to think that AV would have avoided the MP's expenses scandal - which is ludicrous. One of the most egregious cases (admittedly one end of a spectrum) was that of the former MP for Barnsley Central, but in that constituency Eric Illsley would have been elected under AV (in 2005 Illsley got 61% of the vote). The broadcast by the "No" campaign was, if possible, even more infantile.

In British Columbia there was a referendum on whether to introduce STV in 2005 (there was a majority in favour but less than 60% so another referendum was held in 2008 and STV was defeated). Below is a link to an animation produced by the pro-STV group. OK it is one-sided, it puts the "Yes" argument. But just compare the quality of this - which explains the system and sets out an argument - with the puerile, infantile, insulting rubbish broadcast by both sides in the 2011 AV referendum.

See THIS: BC-STV