We all have a chance to be part of history in the making

For weeks the headlines have been dominated by foreign affairs, to the virtual exclusion of great debates at home.

History is crashing across the Middle East, where young and old risk their lives for freedom and a first taste of democracy. Some of them are in London today for the Libya conference, eager to gain strength at the Mother of Parliaments.

So it is depressing to learn that a majority of Britons - and an estimated 80 per cent of Londoners - are not expected to bother voting in the referendum on voting reform on May 5. Do we really take democracy so much for granted?

This morning the Yes side staged their first cross-party event, with Labour's Ed Miliband, former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy and Caroline Lucas of the Greens making the case for the Alternative Vote (AV) on the grounds of fairness and legitimacy. The No campaign countered with a riposte from the former Labour Home Secretary John Reid. And tomorrow, Conservative chair Lady Warsi will warn that AV could play into the hands of extremist fringe parties.

Mr Miliband is out of line with most of his MPs, who want to keep the "first past the post" system. Nick Clegg would love to be on stage today but must play second fiddle to his ousted predecessor, Mr Kennedy. In the Tory ranks there is nervousness that the Yes camp might just win, which would seriously damage David Cameron's standing with his party.

All the news, speeches and research that matter will be summarised in the Evening Standard over the coming weeks. There is no longer any excuse just to watch history unfold in faraway places. It is happening right here and everyone can be part of it.