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A Bill to make provision for a referendum on the voting system for parliamentary elections and to provide for parliamentary elections to be held under the alternative vote system if a majority of those voting in the referendum are in favour of that; to make provision about the number and size of parliamentary constituencies; and for connected purposes.
The Bill will provide a referendum for people to choose between the existing first past the post system with the alternative vote (AV) system. The measure was a key demand of the Liberal Democrats during negotiations with the Conservatives, and Nick Clegg was able to extract the concession from David Cameron after the Tories feared Clegg may seek to form a coalition with Labour.
AV requires a candidate to achieve 50 per cent of the vote in order to be elected, with voters ranking candidates in order of preference so that if their first choice is eliminated their vote switches to their second choice and so on. The Liberal Democrats first preference would be for proportional representation.
As part of the coalition deal both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrat MPs will be whipped to support the passage of the Bill, although the Tories will campaign against a change in the system in the referendum itself.
Progress:
House of Commons
1st reading: 22 July 2010
2nd reading:6 September 2010
Committee stage:
1st sitting: 12 October 2010
2nd sitting: 18 October 2010
3rd sitting: 19 October 2010
4th sitting: 20 October 2010
5th sitting: 25 October 2010
Report stage: 1 November 2010
Report stage: 2 November 2010
3rd reading: 2 November 2010
House of Lords
1st reading: 3 November 2010
2nd reading: 15 November 2010
2nd reading: 16 November 2010
Committee stage:
1st sitting: 30 November 2010
2nd sitting: 6 December 2010
3rd sitting: 8 December 2010
4th sitting: 13 December 2010
5th sitting: 15 December 2010
6th sitting: 20 December 2010
7th sitting: 10 January 2011
8th sitting: 12 January 2011
9th sitting: 17 January 2011
10th sitting: 18 January 2011
11th sitting: 19 January 2011
12th sitting: 24 January 2011
13th sitting: 25 January 2011
14th sitting: 26 January 2011
15th sitting: 31 January 2011
16th sitting: 1 February 2011
17th sitting: 2 February 2011
Report stage (1st sitting): 7 February 2011
Report stage (2nd sitting): 8 February 2011
Report stage (3rd sitting): 9 February 2011
3rd reading: 14 February 2011
Ping Pong - House of Commons: 15 February 2011
Ping Pong - House of Commons: 16 February 2011
Ping Pong - House of Lords: 16 February 2011
Ping Pong - House of Lords: 16 February 2011
Royal Assent: 16 February 2011
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd