NUMBER OF MEPs, ELECTORAL REGIONS AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Part of Orders of the Day — European Parliamentary Elections Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:45 pm on 26 February 1998.

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Photo of James Clappison James Clappison Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs) 4:45, 26 February 1998

I welcome that apology, and I accept the Home Secretary's explanation. However, he will understand that some issues flow from that mistake—not least what the Home Secretary said about comparisons between this country and Europe. He knows that, if we dismiss the argument in favour of the d'Hondt system that he gave us on Second Reading, there is little left to support the Government's chosen system. The Government say that they believe that the d'Hondt system is fair—that is a subjective opinion. They say that it is simple—I leave it to the Committee to judge whether any of these electoral systems are simple.

The Government also say that d'Hondt is commonly used in Europe, but it would appear that they have not used the system to calculate the relationship between seats and regions. According to those who are expert in such matters—I am not one of them—the Government have apparently used a different form of divisor for that calculation, which looks very much like the Sainte-Lague divisor that the Government dismissed for the purposes of electing MEPs. Perhaps the Home Secretary will explain that. What is the basis of the system that the Government have finally adopted for determining the relationship between seats and regions?

That decision has important consequences. The Home Secretary will know that the system that he has chosen for electing MEPs—the d'Hondt system—gives the Labour party an extra seat in Scotland. The right hon. Gentleman is looking quizzical: he would do well to take up the issue with those who are authorities in such matters. The different system that the Government have chosen to allocate seats between regions produces one fewer seat for the south-east and one more seat for London. That is an important consideration. In those circumstances, the Home Secretary owes it to the Committee to confirm whether there is a difference between the divisors, what divisor relates seats to regions, and what the justification is for those decisions.

We hold no brief for any of those issues. We have some sympathy with the Home Secretary because we know that it is not his natural terrain.