YES! To Fairer Votes
Encyclopedia
YES! To Fairer Votes was the political campaign
in the United Kingdom
, whose purpose was to persuade the public to vote in favour of the Alternative Vote (AV) in the referendum on Thursday, 5 May 2011.
called Yes In May 2011 Ltd. Its board is chaired by Katie Ghose (Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society
). Other members are Pam Giddy (of Take Back Parliament
), Neal Lawson
(of Compass
), Vicky Seddon (of Unlock Democracy
) and John Sharkey (of the Liberal Democrats
).
The Labour Party
, despite its leader's pro-AV stance, will not be campaigning in this referendum, and there are opposing Labour Yes and Labour NOtoAV campaigns.
Despite the Conservative Party
's formal position against AV, party members aligned to Conservative Action for Electoral Reform
, an internal party group
in favour of electoral reform
, are campaigning in favour.
campaign had outspent the anti-AV campaign by £3.4m to £2.6m, with most of the funding coming from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and the Electoral Reform Society
(ERS). George Osborne
the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer
accused the ERS of having a vested interest in a yes vote, as their commercial subsidiary Electoral Reform Services Ltd (ERSL) was printing the postal ballots for the referendum. This later turned out to be false as the Press Complaints Commission ruling proved George Osborne to be incorrect. The Sun and Mail subsequently had to print retractions.
Campaign criticism
The YES! To Fairer Votes campaign has been criticised for misleading voters on the '50% support' claim, by not making it clear that this '50% support' is of a mixture of 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. preferences. Furthermore, independent research at the London School of Economics and Political Science has shown that 'more than 4 out of every 10 MPs would still be elected with the endorsement of less than 50 per cent of the voters in their constituency', contrary to YES! To Fairer Votes' claims.
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, whose purpose was to persuade the public to vote in favour of the Alternative Vote (AV) in the referendum on Thursday, 5 May 2011.
Structure
YES! To Fairer Votes is a non-profit making organisation established as a company limited by guaranteeCompany limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
called Yes In May 2011 Ltd. Its board is chaired by Katie Ghose (Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
). Other members are Pam Giddy (of Take Back Parliament
Take Back Parliament
Take Back Parliament is an organisation campaigning for democratic reform in the United Kingdom.The group has a strong network of autonomous local branches but no paying membership...
), Neal Lawson
Neal Lawson
Neal Lawson is a political commentator in the United Kingdom.He was born on the 21st March 1963 in Lewisham and brought up in 1960s/70s in Bexleyheath . He got into politics through his father who was a printer in Fleet Street and joined the Labour Party at 16...
(of Compass
Compass (think tank)
Compass is a left wing pressure group, aligned with the UK Labour Party describing itself as 'An umbrella grouping of the progressive left whose sum is greater than its parts'...
), Vicky Seddon (of Unlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy is a UK pressure group, based in Islington, in London. The organisation campaigns for a more participatory democracy in the UK, founded upon a written constitution. Unlock Democracy works to promote democratic reform across the political spectrum and is not aligned with any...
) and John Sharkey (of the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
).
Political parties supporting YES! To Fairer Votes
The following parties support the change to AV:- The Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
- Green Party of England and WalesGreen Party of England and WalesThe Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
and the Scottish Green PartyScottish Green PartyThe Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:... - United Kingdom Independence PartyUnited Kingdom Independence PartyThe United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP) - The Christian People's Alliance
- The Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) - Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
- Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
- The Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) - The Alliance PartyAlliance Party of Northern IrelandThe Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
The Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, despite its leader's pro-AV stance, will not be campaigning in this referendum, and there are opposing Labour Yes and Labour NOtoAV campaigns.
Despite the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
's formal position against AV, party members aligned to Conservative Action for Electoral Reform
Conservative Action for Electoral Reform
Conservative Action for Electoral Reform is a movement within the British Conservative Party for electoral reform, particularly of the first past the post system in House of Commons constituencies. CAER, founded in 1974, believes that the single transferable vote is the best system available. The...
, an internal party group
Ginger group
A ginger group is a formal or informal group within, for example, a political party seeking to inspire the rest with its own enthusiasm and activity....
in favour of electoral reform
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
, are campaigning in favour.
Other organisations supporting YES! To Fairer Votes
- 38 Degrees38 Degrees38 Degrees is a UK non-profit, progressive, political activism organisation that campaigns on a diverse range of issues, such as protecting the environment and tackling climate change, democratic media ownership, child poverty and political reform...
- CompassCompass (think tank)Compass is a left wing pressure group, aligned with the UK Labour Party describing itself as 'An umbrella grouping of the progressive left whose sum is greater than its parts'...
- EkklesiaEkklesia (think tank)Ekklesia is an independent, not-for-profit British think tank which examines the role of religion in public life and advocates transformative theological ideas and solutions. Jonathan Bartley is the founder and co-director....
- Electoral Reform SocietyElectoral Reform SocietyThe Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
- The Financial Times
- Friends of the EarthFriends of the EarthFriends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
- GreenpeaceGreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
- The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
- Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust,
- The New Economics FoundationNew Economics FoundationThe New Economics Foundation is a British think-tank.NEF was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit with the aim of working for a "new model of wealth creation, based on equality, diversity and economic stability"....
- ResPublicaResPublicaResPublica is a British centre-right public policy think tank, founded in 2009. It describes itself as a multi-disciplinary, non party-political research organisation, whose aim is to create bold solutions to enduring social and economic problems.ResPublica has 7 advisory board members, 4 of whom...
- Take Back ParliamentTake Back ParliamentTake Back Parliament is an organisation campaigning for democratic reform in the United Kingdom.The group has a strong network of autonomous local branches but no paying membership...
- Unlock DemocracyUnlock DemocracyUnlock Democracy is a UK pressure group, based in Islington, in London. The organisation campaigns for a more participatory democracy in the UK, founded upon a written constitution. Unlock Democracy works to promote democratic reform across the political spectrum and is not aligned with any...
- World Development MovementWorld Development MovementThe World Development Movement is a membership organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South....
Notable individuals supporting YES! To Fairer Votes
The following people are actively supporting the campaign:- Chris AddisonChris AddisonChris Addison is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of which he later adapted for BBC Radio 4...
- Kris Akabusi
- Rt Rev David AtkinsonDavid AtkinsonDavid Anthony Atkinson was Conservative British Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East from a 1977 by-election until he stepped down at the 2005 general election.-Early life:...
- Naomi AldermanNaomi AldermanNaomi Alderman is a British author and novelist.- Biography :Alderman was educated at South Hampstead High School and Lincoln College, Oxford where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She then went on to study creative writing at the University of East Anglia before becoming a novelist...
- Jonathan BartleyJonathan BartleyJonathan Bartley is the founder and co-director of Ekklesia, a Christian think tank based in London, and a left-wing religious commentator who appears regularly on UK radio and television programmes...
- Martin BellMartin BellMartin Bell, OBE, is a British UNICEF Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician...
. - Honor BlackmanHonor BlackmanHonor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
- Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
- Billy BraggBilly BraggStephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
; - Melvyn BraggMelvyn BraggMelvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg FRSL FRTS FBA, FRS FRSA is an English broadcaster and author best known for his work with the BBC and for presenting the The South Bank Show...
- Rt Rev Colin Buchanan;
- John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
- Steve CooganSteve CooganStephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
- Rt Rev Peter Dawes
- Greg DykeGreg DykeGregory "Greg" Dyke is a British media executive, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing 'tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am...
- Colin FirthColin FirthSirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
- Stephen FryStephen FryStephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
- Bonnie GreerBonnie GreerBonnie Greer, OBE is an American-British playwright and critic.-Early life:Greer's father was born to a family of Mississippi sharecroppers. He was stationed in the UK during World War II and took part in the D-Day landings...
- Eddie IzzardEddie IzzardEdward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
- Rt Rev Michael LangrishMichael LangrishMichael Laurence Langrish is a British Anglican bishop and the current Bishop of Exeter.Born in Southampton, Hampshire, the son of Douglas Frank Langrish and Brenda Florence Passingham was educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton, and Birmingham University, where he received a Bachelor of...
- Rt Rev Martyn JarrettMartyn JarrettMartyn William Jarrett AKC, SSC is the current Bishop of Beverley. He was educated at Cotham Grammar School and King's College London . He was ordained in 1969 and began his ordained ministry with a curacy in Swindon. Following this he held incumbencies in Northolt and then Hillingdon...
- Joanna LumleyJoanna LumleyJoanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
- Kevin MaguireKevin Maguire (journalist)Kevin Maguire is a British political journalist, currently Associate Editor at the Daily Mirror newspaper. From an Irish Catholic family, earlier in his career Maguire was Chief Reporter for The Guardian....
- Art MalikArt MalikArt Malik is a Pakistani-born British actor who achieved international fame in the 1980s through his starring and subsidiary roles in assorted British and Merchant-Ivory television serials and films...
- Francesca MartinezFrancesca MartinezFrancesca Martinez is an English stand-up comedienne and actress. She has toured internationally, including sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival, the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal...
- John O'FarrellJohn O'FarrellJohn O'Farrell is a British author, broadcaster and comedy scriptwriter.-Early life:O’Farrell grew up in Maidenhead, Berkshire the youngest of three children, attending Courthouse Primary School and then Desborough Comprehensive...
- Rt Rev John Packer
- James PalumboJames PalumboJames 'Jamie' Palumbo is the co-founder and Chairman of Ministry of Sound Group, the international music and nightclub business.He was born in London on June 6 1963, and educated at Eton College and Worcester College, Oxford...
- Rt Rev Michael PerhamMichael PerhamMichael Perham is a young adventurer from Potters Bar who, at the age of 17 years and 164 days, became the youngest person to sail around the world solo in the 50 ft racing yacht totallymoney.com, completing his journey on 27 August 2009...
- Tony RobinsonTony RobinsonTony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
- David SchneiderDavid Schneider (actor)David Schneider is an English actor and comedian.Schneider studied modern languages at the University of Oxford, and studied for a DPhil in Yiddish Drama. During his time at university, Schneider performed a predominantly physical comedy act that contrasted with the trend towards stand-up comedy...
, - Rt Rev Alan Smith
- Rt Rev Nigel Stock
- Polly ToynbeePolly ToynbeePolly Toynbee is a British journalist and writer, and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998. She is a social democrat and broadly supports the Labour Party, while urging it in many areas to be more left-wing...
- Rt Rev Alan Wilson
- Richard Wilson
- Benjamin ZephaniahBenjamin ZephaniahBenjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is an English writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008....
Campaign Funding
The Guardians analysis also showed that the YES! To Fairer VotesYES! To Fairer Votes
YES! To Fairer Votes was the political campaign in the United Kingdom, whose purpose was to persuade the public to vote in favour of the Alternative Vote in the referendum on Thursday, 5 May 2011.-Structure:...
campaign had outspent the anti-AV campaign by £3.4m to £2.6m, with most of the funding coming from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and the Electoral Reform Society
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
(ERS). George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
accused the ERS of having a vested interest in a yes vote, as their commercial subsidiary Electoral Reform Services Ltd (ERSL) was printing the postal ballots for the referendum. This later turned out to be false as the Press Complaints Commission ruling proved George Osborne to be incorrect. The Sun and Mail subsequently had to print retractions.
Campaign criticism
The YES! To Fairer Votes campaign has been criticised for misleading voters on the '50% support' claim, by not making it clear that this '50% support' is of a mixture of 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. preferences. Furthermore, independent research at the London School of Economics and Political Science has shown that 'more than 4 out of every 10 MPs would still be elected with the endorsement of less than 50 per cent of the voters in their constituency', contrary to YES! To Fairer Votes' claims.