Brian Binley: Then his input is even more valued. I also support what my colleagues have said. This measure demonstrates that the ladies and gentlemen of the Electoral Commission—good people though they be, and valuable work though they do—are adrift from reality. We need to make that point firmly, because working, as they do, away from the hurly-burly of local politics, they do not always understand...
Brian Binley: I am grateful to the Minister, particularly for pointing out that there are different ways of registering electoral expenses at both national and local level. That is important in relation to this clause. And how good it is to hear from the squeaky-clean Liberals. I hope that that general view will filter down to constituencies. Most of us would welcome that. I have two concerns about the...
Brian Binley: I just want to clarify in my own mind what the hon. Gentleman is saying. Does that mean that the campaign, which the Liberal Democrats led, to decapitate my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe is inside the law, yet our letter is outside the law? Will he clear that up for me?
Brian Binley: Thank you, Mr. Conway. I am grateful to the Minister, but I seek clarification. Clause 27(3) states: ''After subsection (1) insert . . . (a) a newspaper or other periodical.'' The right hon. and learned Lady said that that does not include advertising. If that is the case, I am perfectly happy.
Brian Binley: I am concerned. If I wanted to stand as a ''Conservative against the sustainable communities project'' in my constituency, I assume that that would be disallowed because it would not be one of the registered five slogans that my party might choose nationally. If, however, an independent stood as an ''Independent against the sustainable communities project'', that would be a powerful message...
Brian Binley: It is not the raising of a deposit that matters but the danger of losing it that gives pause for thought—and so it should. The argument that we have just heard suggests that there should be no deposit at all. I argue that the deposit should give people pause for thought and make them consider whether the election is worth fighting, and certainly whether it is worth fighting from a frivolous...
Brian Binley: Ten candidates stood in my constituency when I was elected. I am a little concerned about this matter but I am not sure that the amendment would solve the problem.
Brian Binley: No, I didn't think you were. It seems to me there is a balance between protecting a democratic right and allowing genuine candidates to take part irrespective of the size of the support for the position they represent, and protecting the democratic process from those who wish to use the election for their own rather spurious ends. I cite a case in the election before last in Northampton,...
Brian Binley: You say dreadful—
Brian Binley: It was not very pleasant at 3 o'clock in the morning, but my point is that we all want to protect the democratic process from that sort of activity so we must strike a balance between the need to open up democracy and the need to protect it. We need to give more thought to the matter.
Brian Binley: I support my hon. Friend's point about the size of the electorate. I represent the largest electorate in mainland Britain, I think—although the Isle of Wight, with more than 90,000 electors is bigger. It is a difficult task to service those electorates in terms of the social aspects of our work. My concern is specifically about proposed new section 18B. Electoral registration officers...
Brian Binley: Will the Minister respond to a point that I raised earlier? When organising elections, there is often no time to review election law, as such considerations arise too late in the process. I asked whether the Minister would use the guidance notes to allow electoral registration officers to do what they used to do, and have urgent discussions with local political parties over the siting of...
Brian Binley: It is not.
Brian Binley: I thank the Minister for giving way, but this is not a point of little interest. What I described happens regularly. I was an election agent for 12 years—I was proud of the fact—and I remember that we often needed to find a polling station in a rush. In a good area, the electoral registration officer would do that in consultation with the political parties, but it did not happen in areas...
Brian Binley: No, no.
Brian Binley: For certain members of my party, including myself, the word ''regionalisation'' sends shivers up and down our backbone. I want to be assured that the matter is in no way related to the whole concept of a united Europe.—[Interruption.] I said it sent shivers up and down my back. Secondly, as to the term CORE keeper, which has a Harry Potter connection in a sense, will the Minister be kind...
Brian Binley: The Minister is aware that the clause deals with the relationship between the CORE keeper—I still see him in a pointed hat—and the electoral registration officer. It suggests a sizeable change in the command structure and independence of the electoral registration officer. I am not arguing that that is necessarily a bad thing. The differences in performance and ability of our electoral...
Brian Binley: Will the Minister give way?
Brian Binley: I am not sure what a wet signature is, quite frankly.
Brian Binley: Now I understand; the Minister is very kind. The Minister talked about providing information online and I shall again interject a little background. Some time ago, I founded a company that does exactly that for the pharmaceuticals industry. The company, which is no longer mine, charges pharmaceutical companies a great deal to be online, and it is necessary to make such charges because the...