A referendum at the same time as an election is anti-democratic

I'm really not impressed by the idea of running the AV referendum at the same time as the local elections next year.

This removes the possibility of effective for and against campaigns where the activists from each party realign themselves on the one question.

But then maybe that's the point. It does imply that this will be a less than democratic way of choosing a new electoral system. The irony shouldn't be allowed to pass uncommented.

PS If your interested I haven't made my mind up on AV or even PR yet. I used to be very much a FPTP person, but the power of the parties worries me. Perhaps I'd really like FPTP+ ...

Update: There's an interesting argument about "differential" turnout concerning the Scottish and Welsh devolution elections on the same day ( and I assume not in NI ). I wonder if this might leave the option of legal challange ... Conservative Home's Jonathan Isaby isn't too keen on the date and reports other's aren't either.