I'd be in favour of a referendum on electoral reform. My reasons are straightforward. The voting system in place in this country isn't defensible; and some such initiative to determine whether there would be a democratic mandate for change is overdue. I'm less bothered about the how and the precisely-when of it. But one thing I am sceptical of is this:
Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said at the weekend that he believes the government should not rush ahead with staging a referendum because public antipathy to Brown would ensure the proposal was rejected.
The electorate should be credited with the intelligence to distinguish between a vote about the issue of electoral reform and a vote for Gordon Brown.
