The Yes campaign target Cameron in final stages of campaign... but a majority of Labour MPs are now backing #No2AV

Tim Montgomerie

The overnight YouGov tracker poll gives the "No" campaign an 18% lead - the largest yet and appearing to confirm the Peter Kellner view that voters tend to back the status quo during referenda campaign unless there is overwhelming reason to change.

The increasingly desperate 'Yes' campaign have this morning launched this message:

It was the tactic heralded by Lord Mandelson, yesterday, in an interview with The Independent.

Quoted in The Daily Mail, former Foreign Secretary and Labour MP Margaret Beckett disowned the campaign. Changing the electoral system for ever and for the worse, she said, in order to deliver a ‘short-term kick’ to Mr Cameron was ‘exactly wrong’.

The Yes2AV campaign is further undermined by news that a majority of Labour MPs now back the 'No' campaign. David Blunkett tells The Times (£) that "the “no” campaign had the support of four out of five Labour councillors, thousands of party activists and 131 MPs, a majority of Mr Miliband’s 258-strong parliamentary party." If any smile is going to disappear because of this news then look towards the faces of Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

Meanwhile Nick Clegg - who has taken a higher profile role in the 'Yes' campaign than expected - yesterday joined with Labour Yes campaigners to rule out the use of counting machines. The alleged £130 million cost of such machines to count AV ballot papers has been the most controversial claim made by the No2AV campaign.

More than 200 MPs and peers launch Labour No to AV

By Jonathan Isaby

On the day that Ed Miliband is to make a half-hearted attempt to rally support for adopting Alternative Vote in May's referendum, more than 200 Labour MPs and peers have launched Labour No to AV, making the case against changing the voting system.

Three members of the current shadow cabinet have signed up thus far - John Healey, Caroline Flint and Mary Creagh - along with the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Tony Lloyd; the Deputy Speaker of the Commons, Lindsay Hoyle; and a number of well known recent former Cabinet ministers including Hilary (now Baroness) Armstrong, Margaret Beckett, Hazel Blears, David Blunkett, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, John (now Lord) Hutton, Lord Irvine of Lairg, Helen (now Baroness) Liddell, John (now Lord) Prescott), John (now Lord) Reid, Ann (now Baroness) Taylor and Paul Murphy.

You can download the full list of supporters by clicking here.

Whilst Miliband will claim that the time is "ripe for change", Labour does not have a formal corporate view on the question and the launch of Labour No to AV demonstrates a considerable strength of feeling against change across the entire spectrum of the Labour Party.

As Shadow Health Secretary John Healey says this morning:

“AV is not a new dawn for democracy. It’s a dreadful system for electing MPs and choosing a Government. AV would hand power to Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems - the kingmakers in any hung Parliament.”

Tony Lloyd, PLP Chairman adds:

“Nick Clegg demanded this AV referendum as a fix to keep his party in Government. The only party to benefit from AV would be the Lib Dems. I believe that voters should keep the right to evict one Government and choose another. We shouldn’t be handing that power to Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats.”

And former Home Secretary David Blunkett says:

“People’s trust in politicians has been at an all-time low, so what they don’t want is the kind of back-room deals that you’re more likely to get with AV. Above all, we expect to have one vote - one voter, and each vote counts equally.”

There is more at the Labour No to AV website.

John Healey has also written for this morning's Independent, arguing that AV would benefit only the BNP, UKIP and Lib Dems.