A national referendum on AV next May (on the same date as Scottish and Welsh and some but not all local elections) is "deliverable" according to Jenny Watson, Chair of the Electoral Commission on the Today programme this morning. Wilfully missing the point of John Humphreys' questions, Ms Watson took refuge in the kind of Nu-Lab speak which still pervades most of the quangos the Coalition has not yet had time to abolish. Yes, Ms Watson, many things are "deliverable" but the Commission has to consider whether such a crucially important referendum will be distorted by the uneven turnout which is inevitable in elections which are not consistent across the country. Humphreys pointed out that back in 2002 the Commission ruled that issues of national importance should be considered separately from other elections; Ms Watson said that "evidence" had since persuaded the Commission to change its mind. Curiously, Ms Watson also said that one of the reason the present electoral system is "at breaking point" is because "lots of things happen on the same day."
So much of the content of this interview betrayed Ms Watson's antipathy to the present voting system that it is hard to see how the Commission's participation in the preparation of the AV referendum can be regarded as impartial. Reflecting on the "trust-based" nature of our present system, she regretted that it was "designed for a previous era" - an echo of her dismaying TV reaction on election night when she blamed a "Victorian system" for the difficulties experienced at some polling stations, rather than apologising for any shortcomings on the part of the Commission. The Electoral Commission will play a hugely important role in overseeing the AV referendum. Ms Watson's performance this morning does not inspire confidence in that process.
