Pro AV campaign hit by cash-for-voting-machines allegations

Tim Montgomerie

Over at Coffee House Ed Howker has been joining up the dots and found out that the Electoral Reform Society has (1) made a very large £1.05 million donation to the Yes campaign and (2) sets to benefit financially if AV passes because of the extra business that will accrue to the Electoral Reform Society Ltd, its business-making arm. Howker concludes:

"The largest single donor to the 'Yes' campaign is Britain's no1 vendor of ballot papers and vote counting services – a massively profitable outfit whose commercial interest in a new, complicated Westminster voting system is clear."

Tory MP George Eustice gave the following statement to ConHome:

"The ERS say they want fairer votes but what's fair about trying to buy a referendum result and then cash in with lucrative contracts for counting machines  afterwards?  This issue need to be investigated because that is not how we do politics in this country."

The polling on AV continues to confuse meanwhile. YouGov has the No campaign 7% ahead, ICM has the referendum result too close to call but Ipsos MORI has Yes 12% up.

Within the Ipsos MORI numbers there's a big lead for Yes among Labour voters. That might be shiftable if John Reid and other Labour big hitters shout about Nick Clegg's enthusiasm for AV.

> Video from David Cameron urging Tory members to campaign against AV.