Thaindian News

London, Mar 12 (ANI): Historians have warned that introduction of an Alternative Vote system in Britain, which will be put to a national referendum on May 5, would be ‘profoundly un-British’ and undermine democracy.

The eminent group of 25 historians included the TV historian David Starkey and the bestselling authors Simon Sebag-Montefiore, Niall Ferguson, Amanda Foreman, Andrew Roberts and Antony Beevor, the Daily Mail reports.

Agreement on the AV referendum was a key factor in persuading the Liberal Democrats to join the Coalition last year.

Under Britain’s traditional first-past-the-post system, the candidate who receives the most votes is elected. Under AV, voters would have to rank candidates in order of preference.

If no candidate acquires 50 percent or more of the vote, the one with the fewest votes would be eliminated and their votes redistributed according to second preferences. This process would continue until one candidate achieved 50 percent.

In an open letter, historians warned that the proposed changes would undermine ‘the principle that each person’s vote is equal, regardless of wealth, gender, race or creed… a principle upon which reform of our parliamentary democracy still stands’.

“For the first time in centuries we face the unfair idea that one citizen’s vote might be worth six times that of another. It will be a tragic consequence if those votes belong to supporters of extremist and non-serious parties,” they added.

They also pointed out that the last attempt to introduce AV to Britain came in 1931 when it was opposed by Sir Winston Churchill, who argued elections would be determined by ‘the most worthless votes given for the most worthless candidate’.

Supporters, however, claim that the system would ensure that all MPs had been backed by at least half of their constituents. Critics disagree with this saying that the process would enable some votes to be counted several times. (ANI)