Cameron and Clegg face-off over AV vote
Nick Clegg and David Cameron will go head-to-head today over plans to change the voting system.
The prime minister will tell supporters of the 'No' campaign in a speech today that switching to the alternative vote (AV) system is the "precise opposite" of what the country needs.
He is expected to say that AV would lead to frequent hung Parliaments and inevitable "haggling and horsetrading" between political parties.
Ministers finally managed to pass the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill late on Wednesday night after a protracted battle with the House of Lords.
The legislation was passed just in time to give the Electoral Commission enough time to prepare for a May 5 poll.
But setting out the case for the 'Yes' campaign, Nick Clegg will say first past the post is "out of date" and at the heart of many of the reasons why people don’t trust in or care about politics.
"It means most MPs are elected without the support of most of the people they are supposed to represent," he will say.
"It means millions of voices going unheard. It makes it easy for MPs to get complacent and lazy."
In a direct appeal to voters the deputy prime minister will say that by contrast under AV politicians will need to aim to get half of their constituents to choose them and will no longer be able to rely on just their core supporters.
He will add: "The Alternative Vote is a simple change that will make a huge difference. It means MPs working harder, more voices being heard and power put back where it belongs - with you."
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