27th April 2011: To AV or Not to AV?

To AV or Not to AV?

Come along, find out more, and ‘Have Your Say’

27 April, 2011 – 6.30pm

Location Canterbury Christ Church University, Old Sessions House, North Holmes Campus, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1QU


Canterbury Christ Church University’s Making Politics Matter initiative is proud to host this event, just one week before the 5 May referendum on electoral reform. Dr David Bates, Director of Politics and International Relations at the Christ Church University, said:

‘The debate concerning electoral reform is perhaps THE constitutional issues of our time. Yet the discussion concerning the alternatives proposed does not seem to have been so active. We are delighted in a modest way to redress this. This is a great opportunity to promote public debate on this key political issue, which goes to the heart of our representative democracy. ’


The event will explore important questions such as:

• How ‘democratic’ is our political system?

• Which is the ‘most democratic’ – AV vs. First Past the Post?

• Are there any other alternatives, ones better than those being offered at the referendum on May 5th


The main speakers at the event are a ‘local lad’, Daniel Hamilton who is Director of the civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch. Daniel attended Simon Langton Grammar School for boys, and John Ault, North West Director of ‘Yes to Fairer Votes’.

The Debate will be chaired by Dr Mark Bennister, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Canterbury Christ Church University.

For further information, email: politics@canterbury.ac.uk


About the Speakers:

“John Ault is North West Director of ‘Yes to Fairer Votes’. John worked for the Liberal Democrats for 9 years, has a great deal of experience in fighting and winning elections. Having been agent in South East Cornwall in 1997, winning with a 12% swing, he went on to be Campaigns Officer for the North West, and then Campaigns Manager for the Welsh Assembly elections in 2003. He was co-author of The Liberal Democrat Campaign Manual, and was Director of Simon Hughes MP's successful Presidential campaign. John has also been a candidate for parliamentary and European parliamentary elections. A car fan, John has also appeared on BBC’s Top Gear programme. In a race between representatives of various parties, John was triumphant. Indeed, a rumour even has it that he may be the new ‘Stig’.”

"Daniel Hamilton is Director of the civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch. He was previously the Head of European Insight at the leading opinion polling and political research firm ComRes where he specialised in elections across the world. He worked in both the House of Commons and European Parliament and is a regular commentator on foreign affairs issues, particularly focussing on foreign conflict zones and the politics of Kosovo and Brazil. A graduate in Politics and International Relations from Royal Holloway University of London, he attended the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury."