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Today Deputy PM Nick Clegg announced that a referendum on voting reform is to be held on the 5^th May, 2011.  As I’m sure you’ll all know the 5^th May is the day of the Scottish elections.  And the Welsh Assembly’s and the Northern Irish Assembly’s too.  Either the Deputy PM missed the ‘Respect Agenda’ memo or we all didn’t read the small print and the Respect period is now over; who had two months in the sweepstake?

Let me say that I am not against this idea, there are many merits to holding a referendum on our electoral system on the same day as the devolved elections.  Firstly, it will save the taxpayer money.  According to Mr Clegg’s speech today it will save an estimated £17 million.  This fits in nicely with our new austerity age.  Secondly, there is a good chance that voter turnout will be increased or at least not ridiculously low and a high turnout is needed to give the outcome more legitimacy.  Thirdly, such plebiscites being tagged onto elections are a relatively common event throughout Europe and the US. 

Finally, I don’t think the argument that people won’t understand what to do stands up to scrutiny.  I don’t think that it is the case that the public won’t understand what they are voting for or how to do it, rather it is politically expedient for some parties to claim that it will be too difficult for the public to understand.  I have faith that those who vote are more than capable of following simple instructions.

My issues with this relate to the UK government’s Respect agenda and fairness.  Thus far David Cameron and his merry men have stuck to their promise to treat, not just Scotland, but all the devolved administrations with respect.  However, this is now the second time that they have hi-jacked an election date from the devolved administrations.  The first time was the announcement of fixed term parliaments which will result in the next Westminster elections falling on the same day as the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish elections in 2015. Both of these decisions have been taken without consideration or consultation with the devolved governments.  This hardly exudes respect from Westminster to their devolved counterparts.

Furthermore, I think – although I suppose we won’t know for sure – that it will result in nationalist parties being drowned out on the campaign trail for their own parliaments as they claim they were throughout the general election campaign.  Come next spring we will see Clegg et al (if there still is a et al by then) on their yellow fun bus touring the country promoting the merits of AV.  This offers them the chance to also slip in the merits of the Scottish Lib Dems in Scotland etc.  I don’t think that the nationalist parties can match this kind of spending or will be afforded similar media coverage and as in the general election this could marginalise them.

So what’s the outcome?  Well the referendum on voting reform is going to go ahead on the same day as the devolved elections.  Voting reform might I add that isn’t the STV that the Lib Dems campaigned on, why isn’t there a choice of more than one voting system?  Why isn’t the question in two parts – one asking if voting reform is wanted and the other a list of the potential electoral systems for us to mark our preference?  Apologies I digress. 

The lack of consultation or even a heads up to the devolved governments just doesn’t strike me as being respectful.  Let’s face it, if the issue has formed a united front between the SNP and Scottish Labour then the new government has to wonder just how far they’ve strayed from their ‘Respect Agenda’…

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