Being interested in the history of our nation, and one who feels we have no need to apologise to anyone for our doings in the past. I don’t much like the way we have to fit in with everything the EU decides, and I’m convinced that if we get a vote in favour of AV, the tendency will be towards more coalition type government, which in my view will cause us to slide yet further down the league of nations. Inevitably control from the EU will become greater, and our own destiny left to the Eurocrats. I for one do not want this to happen and therefore I was however encouraged to see the following respected individuals give their support to the continuance of FPTP [First Past the Post] as the system we use, to elect our politicians. The following letter appeared in the Times yesterday.
Dear Sir,
Our nation’s history is deeply rooted in our parliamentary democracy, a democracy in which, over centuries, men and women have fought for the right to vote.
That long fight for suffrage established the principle of one man or woman, one vote. The principle that each person’s vote is equal, regardless of wealth, gender, race, or creed, is a principle to which generations of reformers have dedicated their lives. It is a principle upon which reform of our parliamentary democracy still stands.
The referendum on 5th May which threatens to introduce a system of ‘Alternative Voting’ – a voting system which will allow MPs to be elected to Parliament even if they do not win the majority of constituents’ first preference votes – also threatens to break this principle.
For the first time since 1928 and the granting of universal suffrage, we face the possibility that one person’s casting ballot will be given greater weight than another. For the first time in centuries, we face the unfair idea that one citizen’s vote might be worth six times that of another. It will be a tragic consequence if those votes belong to supporters of extremist and non-serious parties.
Twice in our past, the nation has rejected any threat to the principle of one citizen, one vote. The last time, in 1931, Winston Churchill stood against the introduction of an Alternative Vote system. As he argued, AV would mean that elections would be determined by “the most worthless votes given for the most worthless candidates”. He understood that it was simply too great a risk to take.
The cause of reform, so long fought for, cannot afford to have the fundamentally fair and historic principle of majority voting cast aside; nor should we sacrifice the principle which generations of men and women have sought: that each being equal, every member of our society should cast an equal vote.
For these reasons, we urge the British people to vote “No” on May 5th.
Yours faithfully,
Professor David Abulafia
Dr. John Adamson
Professor Antony Beevor
Professor Jeremy Black
Professor Michael Burleigh
Professor John Charmley
Professor Jonathan Clark
Dr Robert Crowcroft
Professor Richard J Evans
David Faber
Professor Niall Ferguson
Orlando Figes
Dr. Amanda Foreman
Dr. John Guy
Robert Lacey
Dr. Sheila Lawlor
Lord Lexden
Simon Sebag Montefiore
Professor Lord Norton of Louth
Dr. Richard Rex
Dr. Andrew Roberts
Professor Richard Shannon
Chris Skidmore MP
Dr David Starkey
Professor Norman Stone
D.R. Thorpe
Alison Weir
Philip Ziegler