Chris O’Brien, Welsh Conservative candidate for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney, is urging voters to reject AV on May 5th.
He said: “Wales’ voters have big choices to make on May 5th – not just in the National Assembly elections; but on the referendum on electoral reform.
“Embracing the Alternative Vote would be disastrous for the UK.
“It is an expensive and complex system which will reduce the chances of strong government.
“Instead, it will lead to backroom agreements between politicians becoming commonplace. Party election manifestos may become increasingly irrelevant – meaning nobody will ever really get what they voted for!
“A system where some people’s votes are counted more times than others is not fair. Nor is a system when finishing third can let you win!
“Under AV, it can also take days to figure out who has won elections – alienating voters and replacing the drama of election night with a prolonged period of uncertainty!
“Voting no to AV will not mean an end to discussions on voting reform. But it will block the implementation of a confusing and costly voting system.
“Even Nick Clegg has described AV has a ‘miserable little compromise’. It is not proportional, it is not fair and we don’t need it. I urge people across Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney to turn out and reject AV”.
