AV

On the eve of this vote, it is important to note that it is not that important. The coalition does not stand or fall by it. The meeting of minds on the liberty of the individual and decentralisation of power was a more powerful driver of the agreement, together with the Conservatives' willingness to move towards our social agenda. As Chris Huhne said (Newsnight, 1st February), the Alternative Vote system would give voters more choice, it would be the most minimal change. Indeed, he reckoned that both Thatcher and Blair would have had bigger majorities under AV.

That great Liberal Michael Meadowcroft wrote in Liberal Democrat News before the general election: "For Liberal Democrats it is not a question of 'any reform will do' or that AV is some sort of halfway house. It simply isn't, and it would show an alarming lack of confidence in the party's policy and its efficacy if we were to fail to go for the one reform that deals with the key problems of a failing democracy."

So, win, lose or draw on AV tomorrow, I and thousands of Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for STV, a truly proportional system which maintains the constituency link.