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Government of Wales Bill

I shall certainly reflect on the hon. Lady’s request, but I am about to explain the circumstances that justify the policy set out in the Bill. It cannot be right for losers to become winners through the back door, despite having been rejected by the voters. That is an abuse of democracy, as is the practice adopted by 15 of the 20 list AMs of using taxpayers’ money to open constituency offices in the seats in which they were defeated and targeting those seats to win next time by cherry-picking local issues against the constituency AMs who beat them. The hon. Lady asks for evidence. Criticism of the existing system has been widespread. Lord Richard recently told the Welsh Affairs Committee:"““There is something wrong in a situation in which five people can stand in Clwyd, none of them can be elected, and then they all get into the Assembly. On the face of it that does not make sense. I think that a lot of people in Wales find that it does not.””" The hon. Lady asked for evidence and I am now about to give it to her. The eminent Welsh academic, Dr. Denis Balsom, said in evidence to the Richard commission:"““Candidates use the list as an insurance against failing to win a constituency contest. This dual candidacy can also confuse the electorate, who may wish to consciously reject a particular candidate only to find them elected via the list. It should remain a basic democratic right not to elect a particular candidate or to be able to vote a Member out.””" Lord Carlile, the former Welsh Liberal Democrat—[Interruption.] This is not against a list system. It is saying to candidates, ““Make a choice.”” Why are they so afraid of making a choice? Stand and face the verdict of the people in the constituency or stand on the list, whichever they wish. It is—[Interruption.] I have been asked for evidence and I have taken up a great deal of time in interventions. Lord Carlile, the former Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, has said:"““many in Wales will welcome . . . the removal of the absurd dual candidacy opportunity.””—[Official Report, House of Lords, 15 June 2005; Vol. 672, c. 1217.]" The former Conservative Secretary of State for Wales, Lord Crickhowell—the Conservatives want evidence—has said that the"““present arrangements are really pretty indefensible.””—[Official Report, House of Lords, 15 June 2005, Vol. 672, c. 1216.]" In the consultation on the White Paper, I received only one formal response from the Conservative party, but it was a most significant one. It was from the Preseli Pembrokeshire Conservative association. The hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) is swelling with pride as the association’s representative. It said:"““We agree with the proposal to prevent individuals from simultaneously being candidates in constituency elections and being eligible for election from party lists.””" Game, set and match.