Electoral reform organisations tonight issued statements celebrating the vote in the House of Commons for a referendum on AV.

The BBC reports:

MPs backed the referendum plan by 365 votes to 187 – a majority of 178 for the government. A Liberal Democrat amendment to hold a referendum earlier and on a different voting system – the single transferable vote – was defeated by 476 votes to 69.
….
The government put forward its plan for a referendum to be held by the end of October 2011 in an amendment to the Constitutional Reform Bill. But the wide-ranging Bill has to go through various Parliamentary stages before becoming law and is expected to face opposition in the House of Lords. Downing Street has also admitted “time is tight” to change the law ahead of a general election, widely expected in May.

Tonight, the Electoral Reform Society’s Dr Ken Ritchie said it marked the end for First-Past-The-Post:

We wanted MPs to back the amendment on the Single Transferable Vote. The Alternative Vote will not go nearly as far to deliver a representative parliament, an accountable government and responsive MPs. But we finally have movement towards a better voting system.

The evening’s Hansard report will serve as a permanent record of the dividing lines between the old and new politics. Tories and Labour rebels will have the opportunity to explain their decision to voters at the coming election.

Willie Sullivan from the Vote for a Change campaign, which has led calls for a referendum, said:

This vote has clearly demonstrated where some of our MPs’ priorities lie. We have a new coalition in British politics. And as they shuffled through the lobbies together, Conservatives and Labour’s rebel knuckle draggers stood united against change.

We now have a clear view of which politicians have faith in their voters, and which simply have faith in the status quo.

If this Axis of Reaction needs a leader, they need look no further than Douglas Hogg, a man who says giving the people a choice on how they elect MPs is a waste of public funds having spent taxpayers’ money on his moat. You can find no greater spokesperson for the First-Past-the-Post tendency.

1. Liberal Conspiracy
   

   Reformers welcome vote victory on AV http://bit.ly/a5rFFl