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Proceeding contribution from Jack Straw (Labour) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 9 February 2010. It occurred during Debate on bill and Committee of the Whole House (HC) on Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill.


Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (Money) (No. 3)

I will not give way, because I only have a short time. We have heard suggestions that the idea of the alternative vote is some great anathema, and that alternatives to first past the post have never been considered. We will come on to that in more detail in Committee, but that is an extraordinary suggestion. As the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) pointed out, the Conservative party elected the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) as its leader not by first past the post but by the alternative vote. [Hon. Members: ““Gimmick!””] Well, we know that. But it gets better—or worse, depending on one's point of view. It will be within the recollection of the House that just two weeks ago we had a great debate about whether we should end by-elections for hereditary peers. We voted for that, and so did the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives voted to support the system of electing hereditary peers. May I ask whether any Opposition right hon. or hon. Member knows what the system of elections for hereditary peers is?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
505 c783-4 
Session
2009-10
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Boundary commissions Constituency size Constituencies Alternative vote Administration Constitutional and administrative law House of Commons General elections Members Referendums Voting methods
Legislation
Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill 2008-09 to 2009-10
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk