---

Government of Wales Bill

I apologise, Mrs. Heal. I was responding directly to the hon. Lady’s intervention, and I would like to add two points of clarification. First, asteroids are rocket science. Secondly, any politician will seek to make a deep impact in his or her neighbourhood. Just as local councillors will seek to maximise the effectiveness of their political operation by basing their offices where they think that would be in the best interests of their party, it is hardly surprising that politicians elected to the Welsh Assembly will seek to maximise the effectiveness of their work, in their party interests as well as in those of the people whom they have been elected to represent, by basing their offices in an expedient fashion. I have some experience in this regard, because there is Conservative activity of that kind in the constituency of Montgomeryshire. I do not always feel comfortable about it, because obviously, it is the Conservatives’ strategy to maximise their effectiveness and their profile in a seat that they once held—although I hope that they will not hold it again. To prevent such activity, one would have to gerrymander the regulations specifically to forbid politicians from one party to base their political operation in a constituency represented by another party. However attractive that idea might be to me on an emotional level, I cannot see how it could be enforced in any manner other than one expedient for the party that introduced the regulations. The Electoral Reform Society pointed out that"““a ban on dual candidacy will not provide a solution to this dilemma—whether or not they are permitted to stand as constituency candidates, there is nothing to stop list candidates from targeting particular constituencies on behalf of their parties””." It concluded:"““We urge the Government to reconsider their plan to plan dual candidacy, a controversial and divisive argument for which the case has not adequately been made””." There are aspects of the idea that I find attractive, and perhaps I was more sympathetic to the Minister’s position before the debate than I am now.