Fair Votes - the Campaign has started

10.21.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th Jul 2010

Alan Lewis & Jacquie Bell supporting Fair Votes

Nick Clegg has announced some detail of the referendum on Fair Voting. Below is the text of his letter:

Dear Friend,

Today I announced that, for the first time, the British people will have a choice about the system they use to elect their MPs.

On May 5th 2011, there will be a referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote.

The First Past The Post system hands power to the lucky few who live in marginal constituencies and sucks it away from the vast majority of us who do not. So over the next ten months the Liberal Democrats will be fighting hard, with others, for a 'yes' vote in the referendum. I want to sweep away the current system and replace it with the Alternative Vote.

We need you to be part of this campaign. It will not be easy. There will be many MPs who want to keep the status quo because it protects them from the need to win majority support.

But with your help we can do it. We need you to inspire, enthuse and persuade your friends, family and neighbours to come out on May 5 and cast their ballot for fairer votes.

There are two things that you can do today to get the referendum campaign off to a flying start. First, please sign up to our Fairer Votes campaign newsletter here: www.fairervotes.org.uk

Second, please join the Liberal Democrats to help us play our leading role in the campaign for Fairer Votes across Britain. We depend on our members for everything we do.

Together, we can win this referendum.

All best wishes,

Nick Clegg MP

Leader of the Liberal Democrats & Deputy Prime Minister