The May 5th date for the AV referendum is under threat because the bill paving the way
for it
might not get through the House of Lords in time. The problem is that the referendum bill is linked to the plan to equalise constituency sizes which Labour is steadfastly opposed to. So Labour
lords are blocking its progress. One Lib Dem lord complains that the problem is ‘all these Scottish ex-Labour MPs who are behaving like they are still in the Commons.’
Labour is stressing that it would happily allow the bill to be split in two and then vote through the May 5th date. But the coalition won’t agree to this as the equalising of constituency sizes and the reduction in the number of MPs is what the Tories get in exchange for allowing the Lib Dems a referendum on AV.
One possible compromise option being floated is to allow a 10 percent deviation in constituency size, the current bill sets the limit at five percent.
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