They hope this would bind any future government in to holding a referendum on the issue, irrespective of whether or not their party is in favour.

It wouldn’t. If the Tories, as they would, opposed the referendum and said so explicitly before the election, mentioning it in their manifesto for instance, then they would have a categoric mandate to repeal the bill and cancel the referendum after the election.

Unless that mighty triumverate are hoping that moral pressure brought by Compass, Progress and the Fabians would shame the Tories into holding a referendum on which they would campaign for a No. Which also seems a bit of a stretch.

mentioning it in their manifesto for instance, then they would have a categoric mandate to repeal the bill and cancel the referendum after the election.

They would also lose a lot of political capital for that, having opposed something the public explicitly voted for

Eh? If they voted the Tories in on a manifesto pledge of not having a referendum on electoral reform, how can we say that the public “explicitly voted for” it? Unless you count the fact that they voted for Labour in 1997 on a promise of electoral reform, which Labour then managed to forget about entirely.

2 – oh, the argument is to get a referendum bill through Parliament and the referendum to go ahead before an election. It is to laugh. There simply isn’t time for the scope of any referendum to be debated, passed through the Commons, reviewed by the Lords, passed back to the Commons and given Royal Approval; then for the referendum to be organised, information sent out, logistics for the referendum organised, and the referendum to take place before May/June this year.

Not a prayer. The most that could be done is for the plans for a Referendum to be approved in Parliament – and that’s frankly a stretch with the time that’s left. The Tories then call the whole thing a grotesque waste of time and money and pledge to scrap the whole thing if elected. They are elected, and they scrap the whole thing. Job done. The only chance of getting this referendum is if Labour win the election. Ah ha. Ah ha hah.

Rob – I didn’t came across clearly. If there’s a separate referendum during the GE on electoral reform, and people vote for the Tories and also FOR electoral reform, then opposing something the public wants would cost political capital… people rarely remember manifesto committments… but they do remember what they voted for since it’s much more of an explicit action.

Sunny – the proposal Brown is considering would mandate a referendum AFTER the general election. Cameron can repeal it without the public even getting a chance to vote in it.

Labour’s three biggest activist groups? Really?

UNITE? UNISON? GMB? CWU? The Co-op Party?

Even if you exclude all these affiliates, I’d be interested in seeing membership numbers for each of the three organisations mentioned. I wouldn’t be surprised if the LRC is bigger than Compass or Progress, for example. (Of course, all of these organisations, LRC included, have relatively small numbers involved, and the bulk of party members are not members of any non-union affiliated organisation.)

#5 – what #6 said. Labour would be nuts to hold a referendum alongside the GE. It would divide the Party at a time when we need maximum unity, and distract many of our activists away from campaigning for the Party in what will undoubtedly be the most competitive election since 1992.

Hey don’t blame me – that’s Guardian copy.

Saying that – the trade unions have also joined the bandwagon for electoral reform. Which basically leaves the LRC crew and people like John Prescott…

sunny – there just can’t be an election time referendum; whether it was a good idea or not, the clock is out on that one.

If you put this proposal (eg a 2011 referendum, say) to a Commons vote as an amendment to the current Bill, the Tories could support the idea of an electoral reform referendum. Or they could oppose it, and oppose it in their manifesto and promise to scrap it.

Recall though that David Cameron is supposed to be the candidate of change, new politics, and the biggest redistribution of power ever …. he has just failed to actually propose any means whatsoever to that end. He wrote two whole pages of the guardian once pledging that: the concrete commitment was to think about fixed election dates.

#9

I actually don’t know whether the LRC is in favour of electoral reform or not; I’m not in favour of PR, but it’s obviously not a left-right issue, so it could go either way.

Can you link to something about trade unions jumping on the bandwagon? If nothing else I’m shocked that TUs have acted that quickly!

tim f, here you go: http://ow.ly/1n3Hz8

Thanks. I’m not sure the TUC Gen Sec making a statement is particularly meaningful. He has no influence on any of the major affiliated unions. If any of the big four Gen Secs commit themselves, I’ll concede that represents serious momentum.