When I was 23 years old, I was arrested for chaining myself to the railings of the Palace of Westminster in a student protest in favour of proportional representation (PR).
The protest lasted all of about 40 seconds before the Old Bill came a-screeching around the corner (lurking, as they were, in Cannon Row nick there).
Me and nine of my mates - two of us girls and eight lads in total - were swiftly extricated from the fine ironwork with wire cutters, bundled into the meat wagon, and banged up in Bow Street Magistrates slammer (now no longer with us, of course) for a few hours to cool our heads.
We even made "News at Ten" that night (we'd lined up ITN of course, even then I was a true professional). It were a right giggle. The next day we were all fined a tenner and bound over to keep the peace. I had a criminal record for several years after that. Needless to say, my mum was not best pleased.
I tell this story not to make you smile (although I hope it has) but to establish my credentials as one who has been steeped in, and who understands, the theory of electoral reform.
As a graduate student, I worked for the Campaign for Electoral Reform for over a year; it is a sad fact that, even now, I can bore for Europe about electoral systems and can explain the "Single Transferable Vote moveable quota" in some detail (this bizarre fact could be compared with, say, Bet Lynch being able to explain the off-side rule).
