{{Short description|Independent Commission on the Voting System}} {{For|the European Commission led by Roy Jenkins|Jenkins Commission (EU)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The '''Independent Commission on the Voting System''', popularly known as the '''Jenkins Commission''' after its chairman [[Roy Jenkins]], was a commission into possible reform of the [[United Kingdom]] [[electoral system]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm40/4090/4090.htm|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140131031506/http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm40/4090/4090.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-01-31|title=Report of the Independent Commission on the Voting System|access-date=2009-05-25}}</ref>
==The commission== {{Unreferenced section|date=July 2024}} The commission was set up in December 1997 by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] government with the support of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], to investigate alternatives to the [[single member plurality]] (or "first past the post") electoral system used for [[Elections in the United Kingdom#General elections|British general elections]]. A referendum was planned on whether to change the voting system.
The commission was asked to take into account four requirements:
# broad proportionality, # the need for stable government, # an extension of voter choice, and # the maintenance of a link between MPs and geographical constituencies.
The commission reported in September 1998 and suggested the [[alternative vote top-up]] or AV+ system, which would directly elect some MPs by the alternative vote, with a number of [[Additional-member system|additional members]] elected from top up lists similarly to [[Mixed-member proportional representation]]. The commission considered a [[single transferable vote system]] but rejected it because it would require massive constituencies of around 350,000 electors resulting in an oppressive degree of choice (i.e. too many candidates to choose from). Also, they described the counting of votes in STV as "incontestably opaque" and argued that different counting systems could produce different results. Finally, Jenkins rejected STV because it was a different system from those used in [[European Parliament|European]] and devolved parliaments, as well as the [[London Assembly]].
==Actions taken from the commission== No action was taken by the Labour government to change the electoral system.
After the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 election]], with a [[hung parliament]], and the Liberal Democrats potentially holding the balance of power, AV+ was again the subject of discussion, as a potential part of a coalition deal. However, the eventual [[Cameron–Clegg coalition|coalition]]'s deal – between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives – specified that there would be a referendum on "the introduction of the Alternative Vote".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/coalition_programme_for_government.pdf|title=The Coalition: Our Programme for Government|accessdate=2011-02-18}}</ref> This was confirmed in February 2011, when [[2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum|the referendum]] on AV (not AV+) was approved by Parliament.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12485084|title=Referendum on voting system goes ahead after Lords vote|accessdate=2011-02-18 | work=BBC News|date=2011-02-17}}</ref>
The referendum took place on Thursday 5 May 2011, resulting in a 67.9% "No" vote, in favour of keeping the existing first-past-the-post; versus 32.1% "Yes" in favour of moving to AV.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sudd.ch/event.php?lang=en&id=gb022011 |title=Alternative Vote as Voting System |publisher=Direct Democracy |accessdate=9 June 2012}}</ref> Of 440 voting areas (based on [[Parliamentary constituencies]]) only 10 of the 440 areas returned "yes" votes in favour of AV, of which six were in London, the others being [[Oxford (UK Parliament constituency)|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Cambridge]], [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] and [[Glasgow Kelvin (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Kelvin]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13321284 |title=Alternative Vote: regional results |accessdate=2017-06-06 |work= BBC News |date=2011-05-07}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Politics|United Kingdom}} *[[Elections in the United Kingdom]]
==References== <references />
[[Category:Electoral reform in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1997 establishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1998 in British politics]]