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17 February 2011
Last updated at 20:14 ET
David Cameron and Nick Clegg are to set out their opposing views on whether to change the Westminster voting system.
They will each make speeches on the issue on Friday as the 5 May referendum campaign gets going in earnest.
The prime minister is expected to argue the existing system for electing MPs provides "real accountability" but his deputy will counter that changing it would be "good for democracy".
The government pledged to hold a vote on the issue in its coalition deal.
The move - which will lead to the first UK-wide referendum of its kind since 1975 - was a key concession by the Conservatives to their Lib Dem partners.
'Good for democracy' The Tory leader and his Lib Dem counterpart will argue their respective cases a day after Parliament approved legislation paving the way for the referendum to be held on the same day as devolved elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and local elections in parts of England.
Mr Cameron will argue that first-past-the-post has historically provided decisive results, citing the 1979 and 1997 elections - when sitting governments suffered heavy defeats - as examples of "real accountability, real democracy and real people power".
Continue reading the main story WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE VOTE
Under the AV system, voters rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference.
Anyone getting more than 50% of first-preference votes is elected.
If no-one gets 50% of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their backers' second choices allocated to those remaining.
This process continues until one candidate has at least 50% of all votes in that round.
While acknowledging that Hung Parliaments - where no one party gains a majority of seats - are "not necessarily a bad thing" and can force parties to work together "in the national interest", he will say that a switch to AV will make clear outcomes "more unlikely".
"Let's be clear, when there are more hung parliaments there will be more haggling and horsetrading between politicians - both before and after elections," he will say.
Pledging to put the case "loud and clearly" for the status quo to be maintained, he will say AV would result in "gamesmanship" between parties in the battle for second preference votes in certain seats.
"It means a voting system that is unfair, processes that are unclear and politics that is unaccountable."
'Out of date' In his speech, Mr Clegg is expected to argue that adopting AV - which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference - would be "good for our democracy".
He will say the majority of MPs do not get the backing of 50% of their constituents under the current system and millions of votes effectively do not count towards the final result.
"First-past-the-post is out of date and it is at the heart of so many of the reasons that people do not trust in or care about politics," he will say. "It means millions of voices going unheard. It makes it easy for MPs to get complacent and lazy. First-past-the-past is not working and it is time to get rid of it."
Switching to AV would force MPs to "work harder", to appeal to a broader cross-section of voters and not just rely on their "core supporters", he will add.
"They [MPs] will be more legitimate and will carry a stronger mandate from a broader range of people. That can only be good for our democracy."
Campaigning The official No to AV and Yes to Fairer Votes campaigns have stressed they are cross-party movements not tied to any political party and drawing support from all sections of society.
Although both sides have been preparing for the poll for months, the No camp launched its referendum campaign earlier this week while the Yes camp is due to do so next month.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he will campaign for a switch to AV. However, his party is split on the issue with its MPs lining up on both sides of the argument.
Under first-past-the-post, voters select one candidate and the individual with the most votes wins.
Under the AV system, voters rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference. Anyone getting more than 50% of first-preference votes is elected.
If no-one gets 50% of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their backers' second choices allocated to those remaining.
This process continues until one candidate has at least 50% of all votes in that round.
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They will each make speeches on the issue on Friday as the 5 May referendum campaign gets going in earnest.
The prime minister is expected to argue the existing system for electing MPs provides "real accountability" but his deputy will counter that changing it would be "good for democracy".
The government pledged to hold a vote on the issue in its coalition deal.
The move - which will lead to the first UK-wide referendum of its kind since 1975 - was a key concession by the Conservatives to their Lib Dem partners.
'Good for democracy' The Tory leader and his Lib Dem counterpart will argue their respective cases a day after Parliament approved legislation paving the way for the referendum to be held on the same day as devolved elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and local elections in parts of England.
Mr Cameron will argue that first-past-the-post has historically provided decisive results, citing the 1979 and 1997 elections - when sitting governments suffered heavy defeats - as examples of "real accountability, real democracy and real people power".
Continue reading the main story WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE VOTE
Under the AV system, voters rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference.
Anyone getting more than 50% of first-preference votes is elected.
If no-one gets 50% of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their backers' second choices allocated to those remaining.
This process continues until one candidate has at least 50% of all votes in that round.
While acknowledging that Hung Parliaments - where no one party gains a majority of seats - are "not necessarily a bad thing" and can force parties to work together "in the national interest", he will say that a switch to AV will make clear outcomes "more unlikely".
"Let's be clear, when there are more hung parliaments there will be more haggling and horsetrading between politicians - both before and after elections," he will say.
Pledging to put the case "loud and clearly" for the status quo to be maintained, he will say AV would result in "gamesmanship" between parties in the battle for second preference votes in certain seats.
"It means a voting system that is unfair, processes that are unclear and politics that is unaccountable."
'Out of date' In his speech, Mr Clegg is expected to argue that adopting AV - which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference - would be "good for our democracy".
He will say the majority of MPs do not get the backing of 50% of their constituents under the current system and millions of votes effectively do not count towards the final result.
"First-past-the-post is out of date and it is at the heart of so many of the reasons that people do not trust in or care about politics," he will say. "It means millions of voices going unheard. It makes it easy for MPs to get complacent and lazy. First-past-the-past is not working and it is time to get rid of it."
Switching to AV would force MPs to "work harder", to appeal to a broader cross-section of voters and not just rely on their "core supporters", he will add.
"They [MPs] will be more legitimate and will carry a stronger mandate from a broader range of people. That can only be good for our democracy."
Campaigning The official No to AV and Yes to Fairer Votes campaigns have stressed they are cross-party movements not tied to any political party and drawing support from all sections of society.
Although both sides have been preparing for the poll for months, the No camp launched its referendum campaign earlier this week while the Yes camp is due to do so next month.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he will campaign for a switch to AV. However, his party is split on the issue with its MPs lining up on both sides of the argument.
Under first-past-the-post, voters select one candidate and the individual with the most votes wins.
Under the AV system, voters rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference. Anyone getting more than 50% of first-preference votes is elected.
If no-one gets 50% of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their backers' second choices allocated to those remaining.
This process continues until one candidate has at least 50% of all votes in that round.
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