David Maddox: The X Factor election

Just been listening to the fascinating debate on whether the Westminster voting system should be changed, read the reports on it in tomorrow's Scotsman.

Its an anorak's debate, which must be why so many MPs are taking part.

But one speech worth mentioning which may not survive the cut for various articles has just been made by Battersea Labour MP Martin Linton.

He is backing the alternative vote system (AV) which would allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference leading to the final winner after various eliminations having more than 50 per cent of the vote.

It is the system that Gordon Brown wishes to replace the current First Past the Post (FPTP) system with probably because its effect would almost certainly stop the Tories ever getting a majority again.

There have been various arguments about fairness and restoring trust in MPs used for AV tonight, but Mr Linton has possibly appealed to the wider public sentiment.

AV, he says, is the system used over a period of weeks to decide the winner of X Factor.

"If we had first past the post Jedward would have won," he added.

As a bit of a fuddy duddy I'm not entirely sure of the dismerits or otherwise of Messrs John and Edward (pictured top right) but I do remember the press coverage about Simon Cowell threatening to leave the country if they won.

For me this seals the argument in favour of FPTP, although I suspect Mr Linton hoped the threat of a Jedward victory would have the opposite effect.