News
03 February 2010
LAUGHTER and jeering almost drowned out responses as Gordon Brown and David Cameron clashed in the Commons.
At Prime Minister's Question Time today (Wed Feb 3), Gordon Brown said the voting system has got to change to reflect the changing times, as the status quo can't last.
Mr Brown has said he will seek parliamentary approval for a referendum which would switch from the current first past the post system to the Alternative Vote system.
If it came into force, voters would rank candidates in their preferred order rather than simply putting an X on the ballot paper.
Some MPs think the change could restore the public' faith in Westminster following the expenses scandal last year.
Mr Brown told the House it was difficult to know what the Conservatives were thinking, as they did not have a consistent message.
But to jeers and laughs, Tory leader David Cameron quipped about Labour: "It's back to the bunker time."
He added: "The reason he's in favour of the Alterative Vote is it's election time."
And to further laughter he added: "The one thing we should not change... is the ability to get rid of a tired, incompetent and divided government."
His retort added further noise from the benches, prompting the speaker John Bercow to call for quiet so he could hear the Prime Minister's answer.
Mr Brown said the Conservative party was about "no change at all" and the hereditary vote.
But to further laugher Mr Cameron hit back, saying there was only one person who had inherited their title, referring to Gordon Brown himself.
* Gordon Brown also said defence spending sums were rising every year in real terms. "Nobody has doubted that every aspect of Afghanistan and Iraq was funded." He later added: "Every single urgent equipment requirement asked of us for Iraq and Afghanistan has been met.