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Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Andrew Bridgen (Conservative), on Tuesday, 8 March 2011, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 35 members in total.

ELECTORAL REFORM SOCIETY CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH YES TO AV

That this House notes with deep concern the potential conflict of interest that the Alternative Vote `Yes' campaign may be facing due to its links with and majority of funding from the Electoral Reform Society, an organisation that lacks accountability and transparency; notes that should the people of Britain vote for the AV system, the Electoral Reform Society stand to benefit from a potential bonanza in lucrative contracts to supply the running of the new system including through providing the new costly counting machines, given that the business arm of the Electoral Reform Society styles itself as the specialist balloting and related services wing of the Electoral Reform Society and has earned more than 250,000 over the last year alone in government contracts; and urges the Government to stop its departments spending money with the Electoral Reform Society as a matter of urgency until this conflict of interest can be clarified.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received an amendment.

ELECTORAL REFORM SOCIETY CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH YES TO AV (1550A1)
The Early day motion has received an amendment sponsored by Julian Huppert (primary, Liberal Democrat) and tabled on Wednesday, 9 March 2011. It has been signed by 22 members in total.
leave out from `notes' to end and add `that the Electoral Reform Society has been in existence for 127 years and has been committed to electoral reform for all of this time; is therefore not surprised that it will continue to campaign for electoral reform in the forthcoming AV referendum; expresses great concern that the No2AV campaign is engaging in personal attacks on people and organisations that support a fairer electoral system; deplores the fact the No2AV campaign is using estimated cost figures that have been expressly denied by HM Treasury in an effort to mislead the public; and calls on the No2AV campaign to engage in honest debate rather than dirty tactics.'.

Secondary information

Type
Early day motion
Reference
1550 
1550A1 
Session
2010-12
Other sponsors
Jim Dobbin
Gregory Campbell
Robert Syms
David Morris
Tom Harris
Subjects
Electoral systems
Link
View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk