Search: Clegg voting reform
The Government will set out its plans for general election voting reform before the summer recess next month, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has disclosed.
Facing questions in the Commons for the first time in his new role, Mr Clegg said ministers will come forward "well before" the recess with plans for a referendum which will give people the choice to switch to an alternative vote (AV) system.
Labour MPs sought to exploit differences in the coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives over voting reform - with the Lib Dems firmly committed to it and most Tories opposed.
Shadow minister David Hanson said in February the Liberal Democrats had proposed that an additional question should be asked of voters on the single transferable vote (STV) system.
"If that was proposed again by your colleagues on the Liberal Democrat benches, would you vote for it or against it?" he demanded.
Mr Clegg retorted: "This from a party that back in 1997 had a manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on change to the electoral system.
"They had 13 years to do it and they did absolutely nothing. Having sat on your hands for 13 years you're finally displaying some urgency to get on with the political reforms that your government failed to deliver.
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"Our coalition agreement is clear. We're going to hold a referendum on whether people want to have a new electoral system, the AV system."
Labour's Jim Cunningham (Coventry S) asked if the Prime Minister had "leaned" on the Deputy Prime Minister to "prioritise" boundary changes, as opposed to the referendum.
Mr Clegg said the review of boundaries will proceed "in parallel" to the preparations for a referendum. "I don't think anybody would quibble with the principle that your vote should count equally wherever you live," he said.
