NEW WRIT (BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM, NORTH) (Hansard, 25 January 1957)

§ Mr. Marcus Lipton (Brixton)

Very briefly, I wish to object to this Motion. It is quite clear that the use of a Motion of this kind provides the House with an opportunity of exercising the privilege of making provision for its own proper constitution. That is a principle which is laid down, and I quote almost verbatim the words used in page 355 of the latest edition of Erskine May.

The object of the Motion is to ensure that the by-election shall take place on 14th February, the day before the new register comes into operation. In other words, this by-election is to be fought [...]n an out-of-date register, which will entail at least 8,000 changes. It is, in my view, most undesirable that for the sake of 24 hours the Government should have decided to have the by-election in Lewisham, North on the basis of the old register, whereas if they were willing to wait only 24 hours the by-election could be fought on an up-to-date register. That is why I want to register my protest at this Motion.

§ Sir Leslie Plummer (Deptford)

I should like, briefly, to support what my hon. Friend the Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton) has said, but for additional reasons. There is, as we know, in this by-election a third candidate. The fact that she is a crackpot candidate is no reason why she should be denied the opportunity of expressing her views before the electorate. I am in favour of as many candidates as possible being 540 given an opportunity of expressing their views properly. I am not in favour of their being elected: I am in favour of their putting their point of view.

This woman, the third candidate, has an organisation which has got no resources, and it is to be put at a disadvantage in that it has no opportunity of appealing to the absent voters. It has not the organisation which both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party have. Therefore, this candidate, who has every right to stand for Parliament, is denied the opportunity of the better organised parties.

There is a further reason for objecting to the Motion. In the local newspapers which circulate in South-East London there is this morning a note of unhealthy cynicism that the reason this date has been chosen is that it will be to the advantage of the Conservative Party as against the Labour Party. We had yesterday a demonstration of the attitude which the House takes when people cast aspersions on the House. By moving the Motion for this Writ today the Patronage Secretary has cast an aspersion on the general integrity of this House in giving support to the view that an electoral advantage is being sought by the Conservative Party in a by-election which is of prime importance.

I support what my hon. Friend has said, that it would do no harm at all, anti would, indeed, be better for the reputation of this Parliament, if the Motion for this Writ were delayed until Monday.