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.

Gerri Peev: Brown X Factor bluff?

THERE was a brief moment during today's Downing Street press conference when Gordon Brown came close to repeating Tony Blair's habit of, um, embellishment in a bid to appear as normal as possible.

His predecessor famously was mocked when, trying to play up his North East roots, he claimed to have sat behind the goal at the Gallowgate end of St James's Park, watching Newcastle United's Jackie Milburn. (It turned out that the footballer had retired when TB was just four, and that terraces were only replaced by seats in the 1990s).

Today, Mr Brown spoke about how he would download the X Factor single by winner Alexandra Burke. "I think it is as a great song. I happened to hear some of it on Saturday night," he said.

Really? Wow the PM must have annoyed his hosts as he was meant to be in Delhi on Saturday night. Maybe I should be more generous. It turns out that Mr Brown was NOT attempting to exaggerate but had recorded the show. What he meant was that he heard some of the song FROM Saturay night. Hallelujah for that.