Register of Members' Interests (Hansard, 16 March 1987)

§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As all hon. Members know, you are responsible for entries within the Register of Members' Interests—responsible in the sense that hon. Members must give what they honestly believe to be the truth and nothing but the truth. The Register is then compiled under your general direction. As a matter of curiosity, I wonder whether there will be an entry for the right hon. Member for Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Jenkins) as a result of the new moonlighting job that he obtained at Oxford on Saturday. [Interruption.] Hon. Members must be fair. I am asking a serious question.
I was a little puzzled about the ballot. It was not run along the lines that Conservatives regard as proper and right for trade unions. Precise figures were leaked after the first day. It was not even an exit poll. People were queuing up in kinky dresses. There was no proportional representation, yet the winner was one of those who stand by the idea of proportional representation. I should have thought that, as the right hon. Gentleman received only 40 per cent. of the ballot, he would demand a run-off. The turnout was abysmal. It was worse than the turnout for the House of Commons on a bad day. It was almost like the turnout for the House of Lords.
There are many inconsistencies with Establishment-type figures. They preach to the nation about trade unions having proper ballots, yet when it comes to their having a ballot they do not even—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. What does this have to do with the Register of Members' Interests?

§ Mr. Skinner
It is quite simple, really, Mr. Speaker. I am asking you, as the man in charge of the Register, whether the name of the victor will be entered into the Register of Members' Interests as the new Chancellor of Oxford university, and whether it will enable him to keep away from this place any more than before. Many considerations should be taken into account. The principal point concerns what I said earlier. There are contradictions here because people want to tell the working class how to run its affairs, but when it comes to having a ballot of their own, there is the biggest cock-up of all time.

§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
I take it that it is a different point of order. I hope so.
I say to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) that I understand that the election took place only last week. Whether this appointment is put into the Register of Members' Interests will be for the Select Committee.