No. 318/11

Ref: GS 11.0

Date: 30/03/2011

To All Branches Dear Colleagues,

ALTERNATIVE VOTE REFERENDUM – MAY 5TH 2011 The CWU National Executive Council met today and determined its policy with respect to the Alternative Vote Referendum. Below is the policy of the CWU. Attached is a letter that has been sent to both campaigns. “The Alternative Vote Referendum is due to be held on Thursday May 5th 2011.

There are two competing campaigns :

No 2 AV http://www.no2av.org/

And YES to AV http://www.yes2av.org.uk/

The make-up of both the campaign teams are cross party and from a wide range of backgrounds.

Of the three main Party Leaders, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, opposes AV. The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, supports Yes to AV. Ed Miliband is a supporter of AV. The Labour Party Manifesto committed a Labour Government to a referendum on Alternative Voting had it won the General Election in 2010.

Of course, Ed Miliband would not be the leader of the Labour Party had it not been for AV. He was trailing behind his brother, David Miliband, in the 1st to the 4th round. (when only two candidates remained securing the leadership by 50.65% of the vote to 49.35%). A similar system to the old Union of Post Office Workers method where the top two candidates in an election went into a second round.

Since the creation of the CWU in 1995 there has not been a position taken on electoral reform for parliamentary elections to Westminster. Of course, Scotland has Proportional Representation for elections to the Scottish Parliament and local elections, Wales has Proportional Representation for elections to the Welsh Assembly; Northern Ireland has Proportional Representation for elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

AV is used for election to the Greater London Assembly and the Mayor of London. Proportional Representation is used to elect Members of the European Parliament. The forthcoming Referendum is solely for election to the Westminster Parliament. At the 2009 CWU Annual Conference the NEC asked for remission of the Plymouth & District on Proportional Representation motion and this was agreed to by Annual Conference.

At the 2009 TUC Congress the CWU delegation supported the PCS motion on a review of the current electoral system. The Labour Party Manifesto of 2001 and 2010 both contained a commitment to a Referendum for a change to the voting system. The CWU had direct input into the Manifestos and no major concerns were expressed on this at any level in the Union.

The Trade Union movement has differing positions – some say ‘yes’ and some ‘no’. Others have taken a neutral stance. To publicly campaign for or against AV, the CWU must register with the Electoral Commission.

Given that we are 36 days away from the Referendum, and the time constraint, and in the absence of Annual Conference policy on such a major issue and the immediate industrial and political campaigns the union faces, it seems sensible to adopt the following position:

* that the Union should remain neutral on the question of AV;

* that Branches be provided with material from both campaigns;

* that Officers and NEC members be allowed to lend their own personal support to either campaign up to the May 5th 2011 Referendum.”

The document was agreed.

Also attached is a letter that has been sent to both campaigns. Any enquiries on this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary quoting the Reference GS 14.0.

Yours sincerely

W HAYES General Secretary