29 January 2013
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown backs the Government’s plans to reduce the number of MPs and ensure more equal sized constituencies.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con): On the subject of Liberal Democrats, has not our hon. Friend the Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso) been strangely inconsistent today? Was not what he said on tuition fees exactly what happened on House of Lords reform? Some of us voted against House of Lords reform. In any case, is it not clear in the coalition agreement that the link was not to House of Lords reform but to AV? Is it not also clear that in the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto they advocated a reduction of 150 Members of Parliament?
Penny Mordaunt: My hon. Friend is right. That is not lost on the House or on the general public. The only harm that the Liberals will do today is to themselves. They confirm what has long been suspected—that the national interest and the constituency interest come a poor second to Liberal Democrat interest.
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Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way, since I will not have the chance to make a speech today. Amendment 5 contains one important provision that shows why those who vote for the amendment are absolutely determined to wreck the Bill. The explanatory notes to the amendment state that
“the Boundary Commissions would not have a discretion to consider inconveniences attendant on boundary changes”
In other words, they would have grounds to argue against any boundary changes that the boundary commissions proposed.
Bill Wiggin: I am deeply sorry that my hon. Friend will not have the chance to say more this evening. He deserves to.
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Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con): On the subject of Liberal Democrats, has not our hon. Friend the Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso) been strangely inconsistent today? Was not what he said on tuition fees exactly what happened on House of Lords reform? Some of us voted against House of Lords reform. In any case, is it not clear in the coalition agreement that the link was not to House of Lords reform but to AV? Is it not also clear that in the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto they advocated a reduction of 150 Members of Parliament?
Penny Mordaunt: My hon. Friend is right. That is not lost on the House or on the general public. The only harm that the Liberals will do today is to themselves. They confirm what has long been suspected—that the national interest and the constituency interest come a poor second to Liberal Democrat interest.
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Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way, since I will not have the chance to make a speech today. Amendment 5 contains one important provision that shows why those who vote for the amendment are absolutely determined to wreck the Bill. The explanatory notes to the amendment state that
“the Boundary Commissions would not have a discretion to consider inconveniences attendant on boundary changes”
In other words, they would have grounds to argue against any boundary changes that the boundary commissions proposed.
Bill Wiggin: I am deeply sorry that my hon. Friend will not have the chance to say more this evening. He deserves to.
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