Interesting piece of research by YouGov this morning that shows that only 33 per cent of the population have heard of AV and have a broad understanding of how it works.
No doubt both sides of the argument will take this as evidence that the public can still be convinced either way. But I suspect that this high level of apathy does not augur well for the “yes” campaign.
The research was commissioned by the Constitution Society, an educational trust, which found that support is evenly split at present but “exposure to information about AV increases votes for the status quo.”
It’s a topical piece of work given that MPs are voting today on the committee stage of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Reform Bill (as I wrote here last night).
Incidentally, Policy Exchange have released a paper this morning by Dr Robert McIlveen in which he describes AV as “pathetic” and “the product of haggling, not principle”. Here is a link to his research you can decide for yourself if he’s right.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey