Nick Clegg yesterday confirmed to Parliament a package of political reforms aimed at cleaning up politics, restoring some confidence and trust in politics and making our Parliament more representative of the great British public. (“gawd bless em”)

From a die hard Liberal perspective there has to be an element of dissapointment that the long awaited reform of the voting system, that will be put to a referendum, will be the Alternative Vote system (AV).

However, when the initial dissapointment wears off I have to accept that it will at least be better than what we currently have. It will mean that all votes count. It will mean that the duly elected MP is more representative of their constituencies wishes and it will lead to a more representative House of Commons.

Having said that AV of course is not truly proportional representation and it does not fully deliver fair votes – and we must not pretend that it does. But it is a start. And so far as I am concerned that is the key.

If this was the final chapter in the long campaign for fair votes then this proposal would be unacceptable. BUT it does signal the start of positive, albeit, stepping stone reform. So far as I am concerned this is the beginning of the end for unfair votes and unrepresentative parliaments in this great land and that can only be good.

As we gradually get use to the new politics and this strange coalition government it is easy to greet most announcements or policy initiatives with dissapointment as the inevitable compromises take their toll. As a liberal I can’t help searching every announcement for clues as to the party political source and identifying the compromised elements, and I am sure Conservatives are doing the same.

And this novel idea of compromising is playing havoc with the media, left/right-blinkered students of politics and even the politicians themselves.

Just look at the supposed furore over the announcement of a referendum on the introduction of AV . “The Prime Minister will vote No” screamed the BBC News website. “The Prime Minister will enforce that the Conservatives will vote for the referendum”, screamed other media. There has been so much written already about onservatives who will vote “NO” because they are against PR and Lib Dems who will vote “YES” because they support PR and Labour MPs who………..well don’t really know , except they accuse Lib Dems of betrayal – a common charge this days.

Yet AV is not proportional representation and everyone knows that. But everyone also knows that once the fair votes cat has been let out of the bag there is only one way it will go. Conservatives and Labour  MP’s opposed to PR know that and that is why they will try and stop this now.

The art of political decision making in the great corridors of power has suddenly slowed down to take account of coalition partners demands/concerns. Whilst that means compromise it also means (hopefully) better decision making. But it does mean that we don’t always get what we want, when we want it – but it will come. And anyway how long have we waited?

Liberals of the world unite !