NUMBER OF MEPs, ELECTORAL REGIONS AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Part of Orders of the Day — European Parliamentary Elections Bill – in the House of Commons at 6:15 pm on 26 February 1998.

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Photo of Austin Mitchell Austin Mitchell Labour, Great Grimsby 6:15, 26 February 1998

I do not want to interfere in the contest that my right hon. Friend has just won game, set and match—said he, hoping to get on the party list. My right hon. Friend's mental processes are much faster than mine—said he, with the same motive—but I question whether an open system would discriminate against women and ethnic minorities. In an open system such as the Belgian one, the electorate could make substantial changes to the list's order of candidates and also use their power to vote against women candidates. He is surely wrong.