Black poet ' axed from folders "

April 3, 2011, last updated on 09 : 32 ET Benjamin Zephaniah urges the people to "everyone's telling" by backing AV defenders of AV voting system are accused of "airbrushing" black poet Benjamin Zephaniah from leaflets sent to parts of the country.

The campaign "Yes to AV" his photo on literature used in London used but another supporter-the actor Tony Robinson-featured in other parts of the United Kingdom, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

The "no" campaign said his rival embarrassed "" the poet's support.

But the "Yes" campaign called the allegation "a new low".

It said it varied the celebrity lenders are contained on folders if there were "a number".

Yes calls AV of literature people in support of a transition from first-past-the-post Westminster elections to an alternative vote in the national referendum will be held on 5 May.

Celebrities Joanna Lumley, Eddie Izzard, Colin Firth, Honor Blackman and Stephen Fry on both sets of folders displayed by the Sunday Telegraph.

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Currently, members of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency is elected.

On May 5, all registered UK voters can vote yes or no on whether to change the way MPs are elected to the alternative vote system.

Under the alternative vote system ranked voters in their constituency candidates in order of preference.

Everyone gets more than 50% of first-preference votes is selected.

If no one is 50% of the votes, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and their backers second choices to the remaining assigned.

This process continues until one candidate is at least 50% of all votes in that round.

In London is a photo of Mr Zephaniah reportedly included, with the poet quoted demanding an electoral system that "everyone's count of votes makes".

But in near-identical folders, allegedly sent to locations, including Sussex and Cornwall, he is apparently replaced by Mr Robinson, star of the BBC comedy BlackAdder and the Channel 4 Archaeology Show Team.

Terry Paul, a spokesman for the NO to AV-campaign, said: "why are AV ashamed to Yes on the support of Benjamin Zephaniah in places such as Cornwall and Hampshire?

"The ' yes ' campaign leaflet offers a chilling preview of politics under the alternative vote.

"We have warned that AV parties admit to extremist views in a Chase for second and third preference votes would boost, but we never thought that the first example of such outdated ideas would come from the ' yes ' campaign itself."

A ' yes ' campaign spokesman said: "these accusations mark a new low point for the ' no ' campaign and their increasingly desperate smears.

"Let's put it this way: operation Black vote, the Islamic Council of Great Britain and a host of similar groups backed the ' yes ' campaign. The BNP back-the ' no ' campaign. People can draw their own conclusions. "

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