My AV Adventure...

On the podium, Royal Institution

Walking through central London with the task of goading, educating and inspiring members of the public to take part in the country’s referendum was more challenging than I could ever have anticipated.

I spent two days taking part in a polictical rally, trying to coerce the people of London to vote Yes to Electoral reform, meeting Eddie Izzard, Ed Miliband and other wonderful characters along the way.

George Orwell wrote in his novel 1984: “Until they [ordinary people] become conscious they will never rebel and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.” I am not saying that society  has become as Totaletariat as Orwell’s prophetic literary vision but I found that if people were educated in what AV actually was then they actually became inspired to vote against the current voting structure, First Past the Post.

Dressed head to toe in purple, my comrade and inspirational AV enthusiast, 22 year old Jack Georgeou is striding up and down The Tube broadcasting to whoever will listen about the importance of the upcoming referendum to London’s commuters.

For all those that were still unsure, here was my description of the proposed new voting system. In Alternate Voting (AV) all voters have to do is rank their candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3). One can rank as many or as few candidates as they like. If a single party does not receive 50% or more of the votes the candidate with the lowest ranking votes drops out and their second place votes are redistributed. This process continues until a party receives over half the amount of votes.

Purple comrade: Jack Georgeou

 “This is only the second time our country has ever had a referendum and we need to seize this oppurtunity with both hands,” said Jack.

“The UK is the oldest democracy on the planet, and to survive it has had to adapt. Electoral Reform is the next step in our political evolution.”

“Two thirds of our MP’s were voted in by a minority percentage. This means more than half of votes across this country are wasted. More votes are wasted than are taken in to account.

The Conservatives, in power at the moment, became the Government last year on the back of only 36% of the votes yet still received 47% of the seats. The Liberal Democrats who did excellent in comparison to their previous campaigns won 23% of the votes but have somehow only amassed 9% of the seats. 

Sue Kalicinska, 57, runs her own acupuncture clinic near Victoria Station and had been quietly agreeing with the need to change our voting patterns. By the time the rally was over she was practically bouncing through the streets of Westminster slipping flyers under doors and handing out badges to the residents.

 I met her in London’s Royal Institution. In the past this was a place where scientific change and experiments were displayed to eager students and here we shared the belief that this hall had the potential to showcase the rally and enlighten the audience once again.

“The last time the Conservatives opposed electoral reform was to give women the vote and they are wrong again. This isn’t quite PR [proportional representation] but if we say No now the door of democracy could be closed on our faces forever.” She said, leaning forward on her fold out seat. Her eyes are concentrated forward, not unlike the rest of the audience, eagerly awaiting the main event.

“David Cameron appears to be twisting the truth. It is not complicated to understand, it is not going to cost more to vote this way and it is a myth that this will encourage tactical voting.”

Vote Yes: Jack and Sue

At this moment the slideshow which is at the pinnacle of everyones sight begins to fade and the host Katie Ghose, who for five years served as Director of the British Institute of Human Rights, walks on to the stage, preceded by her purple Yes! clipboard and everyone broke in to applause.

Around 45 minutes of speeches from politicians such as Paddy Ashdown (Lib Dems), Alan Johnson (Labour) and Andrew Boff (Conservatives) the audiences’ attention was gained leaving Ed Miliband to fuel the flames of belief amongst us.

The leader of the opposition said: “I believe reforming the system with the alternative vote will also be a step towards improving our arid and divisive political culture.

Under the old system, there is no motivation for parties to go into elections pretending anything other than that they hate each other equally. No reason to find points of common ground; just to disagree. To secure a majority of votes under AV, candidates will need to be more frank about points of agreement, less keen to build up artificial arguments.”

Celebrities like Armando Iannucci and Kriss Akabusi (with his signature fist pumping gestures), paved the way for man of the hour Eddie Izzard to deliver the final rallying call for the watching campaigners.

Ed and Eddie

With every campaigner bubbling with confidence and now pumped up with optimism, the London streets were the next port of call.

“If I do not get 100 new citizens a day to tell me they will vote Yes I consider it a bad day,” said Jack.

We travel home back to Palmer’s Green at half midnight. I felt weary from all the marching, poster–sticking and public–converting and take full oppurtunity to have a sit down. But Jack is still going. He tiredlessly strides up and down the tube, talking to anyone that will listen.

“May the fifth is judgement day. If we say no to electoral reforms now the door of democracy could be closed forever!” he announces as I alight. His purple shirt catching my eye one last time before he strides forward with purpose in to the throng of a new carriage.