Brown's secret plot to shut out the Tories
GORDON Brown is to step up his secret campaign to keep the Tories out of power for ever – by changing Westminster’s voting system.
He will unveil a massive programme for overhauling Britain’s ancient constitution today in his first statement to the Commons as Prime Minister.
New measures will include an elected House of Lords and a Bill of Rights confirming legal rights over security, education and health care for all.
And MPs expect that a key measure will be a move towards a more proportional voting system in general elections.
Such a radical change raises the prospect of a permanent coalition government, run by Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Mr Brown is expected to signal a new inquiry into voting reform. It follows his attempt to forge links with the Lib Dems by inviting senior Peers to join his Government.
He sees a coalition as realising his dream of a “progressive consensus” of left-of-centre parties to shut the Tories out of power indefinitely.
Our system has given Britain stable government for generations. Mr Brown should not tamper with it
Privately, he is understood to be ready to consider the alternative-vote system. It would keep present constituencies, but enable voters to put candidates in order of preference, rather than selecting just one.
But critics say it is biased towards Lib Dems who would be second choice for most Tory and Labour voters.
The system, which was used in the recent Scottish Parliamentary elections, was blamed for chaos over the result.
Labour MP Richard Burden, chairman of the Parliamentary All-Party Electoral Reform group, said: “It is really exciting that there is a chance this is going to be debated.”
But Tory backbencher Mike Penning warned: “Our system has given Britain stable government for generations. Mr Brown should not tamper with it.”
