Voting reform may prove stumbling block to Lib/Con coalition

Top Tories say no to PR

Top Tories say no to PR

By politics.co.uk staff

A coalition between The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats looks to be on the rocks after senior Tories set their face against electoral reform.

Party leaders Nick Clegg and David Cameron continue to talk and had ‘constructive’ one-on-one discussions last night, but the Independent on Sunday reports that Mr Clegg’s supporters are urging him to try and make a ‘rainbow coalition’ with Labour, the nationalists and other parties.

The paper reports that senior Tory figures have said the Conservatives will not move on electoral reform, offering an all-party committee but nothing else.

As Liberal Democrat MPs met yesterday, protestors calling for electoral reform forced Mr Clegg to leave the meeting to address them through a megaphone, where he gave no firm assurances but did seem to reiterate his commitment to demanding political reform.

The influential 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers will meet tomorrow to discuss a coalition with the Lib Dems.