HC Deb 22 May 2000 vol 350 c658
2. Mr. Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne)

What proportion of ballot papers have been spoilt (a) under systems of proportional representation and (b) in elections to the House in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [121531]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Mike O'Brien)

Approximately 0.3 per cent. of the ballot papers that were issued at the 1997 general election were spoiled. Slightly fewer were spoiled in the European parliamentary elections, but marginally more were spoiled in last year's Scottish parliamentary elections. The figure for the elections to the Greater London Authority were higher—largely because a significant number of ballot papers were left blank, but with some people deciding to vote only for the Assembly, and others to vote only for the mayorship.

Mr. Waterson

Does the Minister accept that there is some disappointment because, despite all the ballyhoo over the London elections, turnout was only 33 per cent, compared with a national average of about 30 per cent? To what does he ascribe that turnout—to people's confusion about the Government's ill-judged attempts to tinker with the British voting system, or to a lack of public interest in the new Labour concept of directly elected mayors?

Mr. O'Brien

There is no evidence in the actual statistics suggesting that voters are turned off by the electoral system. In relation to proportional representation, the only thing that is certain about the statistics is that there is uncertainty about how to read them. Our view is that a significant number of people decided that they wanted to vote only for the mayorship. They took the view that they would do it in that way and that they would not vote for the GLA, and that, of course, is their democratic right.

I note in passing that turnout was higher for the Scottish parliamentary elections and the Welsh Assembly elections, for which proportional representation was used, than it was for Britain's council elections, which used first past the post. However, again there is no conclusive evidence on whether people were encouraged or discouraged by the system.