HL Deb 10 July 1979 vol 401 cc752-5

2.47 p.m.

Lord VERNON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied that the result in the United Kingdom of the election to the European Parliament fairly reflects the opinion of the electorate.

The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Belstead)

My Lords, while the Government regret that a large number of United Kingdom electors did not vote in this first election of representatives to the European Parliament, they are satisfied that the results fairly reflect the opinion of the electorate as expressed through our traditional electoral system.

Lord VERNON

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for his reply, may I ask him this: Would he agree that a result where one party with 50 per cent. of the votes wins 76 per cent. of the seats, another party with 33 per cent. of the votes wins 21 per cent. of the seats and a party with 13 per cent. of the votes wins no seats at all, cannot be considered truly democratic? Does he not think that it further denigrates, to some extent, our own Members of the European Parliament among their colleagues, since they will not be considered to be truly representative? Finally, will the Government give an assurance that before the next elections in 1984 they will introduce a system of proportional representation for the United Kingdom election, on the lines that already prevail in Northern Ireland?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, it was Parliament's decision that for these first direct elections the United Kingdom representatives should be elected according to the system used in parliamentary elections: namely, the first-past-the-post system. My noble friend then asked me for an undertaking. Under the EEC Treaty, it is for the directly-elected Assembly to propose a uniform electoral procedure and for the Council of Ministers to agree it unanimously. And if there is to be an alteration in the election procedure, that will be the procedure.

Lord BLYTON

My Lords, does not the Minister think that the low poll that we had for the European elections was because the people of Britain are heartily sick and tired of the Common Market?

Lord BELSTEAD

No, my Lords.

Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTON

My Lords, will the fact that the vast majority of the British electorate decided that these candidates were not worth voting for be taken into consideration when we come to consider whether they are worth paying for?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, I do not think that that question arises from my noble friend's original Question.

Lord SHACKLETON

My Lords, although not following my noble friend's normal, idiosyncratic view, may I ask the noble Lord to point out to his right honourable friend the Prime Minister that the great majority of the people of this country would now he in favour of some form of proportional representation?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, so far as that question is concerned, I repeat that it is a matter for the directly-elected Assembly, followed, or not followed, by ratification by the Council of Ministers. I think that this is a separate matter from questions of procedure for general elections to the Parliament at Westminster.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, is it not anomalous, if it happens to be true, that we are the only country which adopted the first-past-the-post system? May I ask the noble Lord whether or not that is so? And if it is so, is it a fair representation of the electorate? Are we the only country which is unfairly represented?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, so far as I know, the noble Lord is right. We are unique. But then Parliament in this country, mercifully, is unique.

Lord MOYNE

My Lords, is not the apparent apathy of the electorate due to the fact that there were no very clear differences of policy between the candidates? Did not people therefore vote simply on party lines and were not they really meaningless? Was not that why many people did not vote at all?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, I cannot speak for the policy of the party of noble Lords opposite. I think that it is a simpler matter: that it was asking rather a lot of some people in this country to vote in three different elections within a period of only four to five weeks.

Lord BANKS

My Lords, will the Government press for early agreement in the Council of Ministers about a uniform system to be used next time?

Lord BELSTEAD

No, my Lords.