CAMPAIGNERS STILL SAY YES!

Paignton

Despite the Tory dominated media’s attempt to exaggerate the number of committed NO voters the National Liberals have continued their campaign to maximise the YES vote.

* Leafleting teams in Devon and Essex and leaflets pushed by lone members through letterboxes in various towns throughout the UK.

Hornchurch

* Stalls organised in Paignton, Hornchurch and Elm Park have been very well received. For example, in Paignton activists reported the following “We set up the stall around midday in the town centre. Not sure exactly how many leaflets were distributed, but a good few. We also talked to many people, including the former Lib Dem mayoral candidate, who was actually pleased to see a group out campaigning for a Yes vote. We also managed to persuade some ‘No’ voters that a Yes vote was essential. Basically we asked ‘Are you happy with the way things are?’ and the answer is usually no, so we put it to them a change in the voting system was one massive step towards putting things right.”

Elm Park

* Letters sent to councillors and businesses and the press (and printed! see below) explaining why electoral reformers on balance support the YES to AV.

* Internet and text messages asking people to vote YES!

Dear Editor,

Some people believe that the referendum proposal to change the way we elect MPs to the Alternative Vote (AV) system does not go far enough. After all, minor points of view promoted by smaller parties are unlikely to benefit as they would do so under Proportional Representation (PR). Even the architect of the referendum Nick Clegg once called it a ‘miserable little compromise’.

As one of those smaller parties, the National Liberals, we would of course prefer PR; it’s fairer and would revitalise our democracy.

However, if the NO vote wins we may never be offered a referendum again on any change in electing MPs at all for the next 100 years (the last one was in 1918!). But if the YES vote wins we believe that in the future we are more likely to be offered the chance to vote for some real reform.

So we ask voters, however sceptical, to ‘cross their fingers’ and Vote YES to AV on May 5th!

Yours Sincerely