HC Deb 18 December 1929 vol 233 cc1407-8
Mr. SCURR

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to extend the hours of polling at local government elections. Our experience in Parliamentary elections is that when the poll has extended from seven to nine o'clock, it has in many instances enabled a larger number of voters to record their votes. As a consequence, we have been able to get a far better expression of the opinion of the country. In municipal elections, we still follow the old rule of a poll from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. There was for a time a possibility in the boards of guardians elections of having the time extended to nine o'clock, but to a large extent that went; the guardians will go out of existence next April, and we shall have only the eight-to-eight poll for the other authorities. In London, these hours exclude a large number of persons from recording their votes at municipal elections. I feel sure that hon. Members opposite will support this Bill, because they are constantly assuring us how interested they are in local government, and they will agree that it is far better to have a poll of 80 or 90 per cent, of the electors than to have the miserable polls that we often have in municipal elections. A large number of people who live in places like Westcliff and Southend have to get to work in London in the morning, and they find it impossible to record their votes before they leave, and they often cannot get back in the evening in time to do so. Statistics which the London County Council have given show clearly that large numbers of people, who would otherwise be excluded from the poll, are able to vote in the extended hours. This Bill does not compel any municipality to have a 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. poll if there is no need for it. I can quite understand that there are certain areas like the City of Westminster where it is perhaps not necessary, but in those areas which are largely dormitories it is necessary. The Bill proposes to follow the ordinary practice in regard to Parliamentary elections, and to allow candidates to have the right to demand a pall from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. I think this Bill will commend itself to the House.

Major COLFOX

I rise to oppose this Bill, because I consider that it is absolutely and entirely unnecessary. It will impose unnecessary expense upon the authorities concerned, and, in addition, impose a totally unnecessary strain on the returning officer and his staff, who in many cases are old men and ought not to be asked to carry on their duties for many hours and then, very likely, be called upon to assist in the counting of the votes after the poll has closed. This may mean that some of these people will have to be at their posts continuously for 15 or more hours on end—18 hours perhaps—and it is quite unfair and unnecessary to ask them to submit to this strain.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Scurr, Mr. Edmunds, Mr. Mort, Mr. Thurtle, Mr. Cluse, Mr. Robert Richardson, and Mr. John Palin.