PR TRAITORS – 1: THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg famously described the alternative vote as "a miserable little compromise" in the 2010 general election campaign – just days before insisting upon a referendum on it as the price for coalition with the Conservative Party.

The extent of his vile treachery to the proportional representation cause is breathtaking. Here is what his party has said about the electoral system for the House of Commons in its manifestos in the past 35 years:

Liberal manifesto 1979
"Liberals demand proportional representation at all levels of government."

Liberal-SDP Alliance manifesto 1983
"The introduction of proportional representation is the linchpin of our entire programme of radical reform. Alone of the political parties the Liberal Party and the SDP recognise that our economic crisis is rooted in our political system."

Liberal-SDP Alliance manifesto 1987
"The Alliance will introduce community proportional representation, using the well-tried single transferable vote system with constituencies based on local communities."

Liberal Democrat manifesto 1992
"We will introduce proportional representation for all elections at local, national and European levels. We propose the single transferable vote, by which electors cast their votes in multi-member constituencies based on natural communities."

Liberal Democrat manifesto 1997
"We will introduce proportional representation for all elections, to put more power in the hands of voters and make government more representative."

Liberal Democrat manifesto 2001
"For Westminster, we support the system of AV-plus as proposed by the Jenkins Commission as a first step. We will therefore put the Jenkins Commission's recommendations before the British people in a referendum at the earliest possible opportunity. Ultimately, we wish to see the single transferable vote (STV) used for Westminster elections."

Liberal Democrat manifesto 2005
"Liberal Democrats in Scotland are already bringing in the single transferable vote (STV) system for local elections ... We will extend this fair voting system to al local elections in Britian and to the House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament and Notional Assembly of Wales."

Liberal Democrat manifesto 2010
"Our preferred single transferable vote system gives people the choice between candidates as well as parties."

Well, there’s some movement there, but nothing like the principle-free opportunism of Clegg on AV after the 2010 general election. He has sold the pass. What a slimy little creep he is.