Today is a big day for the OneWight campaign.
The Bill that proposes changes to the UK electoral system – the one that, as it stands, would see the Island getting a second MP, with their constituency encompassing both the Island and part of the Mainland – is due to be debated in the House of Lords today. It was voted through the House of Commons by MPs at the start of November.
On BBC Radio 4’s Today programmme this morning, the 8:10 interview (audio below) featured Liberal Democrat Justice Minister, Lord McNally, and ex-Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, discussing why it should/shouldn’t go through.
‘Hybridity’
Labour’s Lord Falconer is hoping to get it stopped in the Lords by raising what he calls its ‘Hybridity’.
He labelled it as such, as Shetland and the Western Isles are specifically named to be given special dispensation from the boundary changes – so the proposed rules are not equally applied across the UK.
Lord Falconer explained it as saying, “It’s a hybrid bill as certain people are treated differently to others, not as a class.”
Isle of Wight: “Not yet an exception”
Falconer went on to clarify, “If they had said ‘any Island constituency,’ it would not be a Hybrid.”
The Isle of Wight was raised by Lord Falconer as an example, using some interesting wording, that the OneWight campaign will likely take comfort from, saying it was, “not yet an exception.”
Lord Falconer isn’t against the idea of exceptions being made, but making the process open, “Exception should be decided as an open process with evidence,” rather than the Government just selecting two he said.
Lord McNally said he thought Lord Falconer, “good lawyer as he is,” “come us with a wheeze called Hybridity.” He later called it an “Elephant Trap.”
Lord McNally feels he’s on firm ground with it, explaining that when he asked the Clerk of the House of Lords about Lord Falconer point said, “he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
LibDems Lords to vote against it?
It’s being reported that the LibDems are unhappy with the Bill as they aren’t getting the voting reform that they want, ending up with a version of AV that doesn’t satisfy them.
Those opposing the Bill hope that LibDem Lords will not vote for it, thus knocking it back to the Commons.
We’ll all find out after the debate. The session starts at 2:30pm this afternoon.
If it passes through the House of Lords today and into law, the changes would take place in May 2011.
Image: ell-r-brown under CC BY 2.0
