Electoral System

Today’s has been an important debate that has addressed perhaps the most basic and fundamental issues underpinning our democratic system: the integrity of the system’s mechanics and its methods of avoiding fraud. We recognise and welcome the Liberal Democrats’ support for our motion. The hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) said much that we agree with, until he got to proportional representation. We are debating the system that governs the public’s one opportunity to dictate how and by whom their country or their local authority should be run. Free, fair and secure elections underpin the foundations of our democratic society. The Minister of State said on Second Reading of the Electoral Administration Bill in 2005:"““all is not well with our democracy.””—[Official Report, 25 October 2005; Vol. 438, c. 193.]" But despite the Electoral Administration Act 2006, a new range of well-publicised examples of fraud have hit our electoral system. It is becoming increasingly evident that the concept of the great British democracy is under threat and that all is still not well in our democracy. That is of great concern to the Conservative party. The Electoral Commission has warned since 2002 of the need for reform, but it has become clear that the actions taken by the Government have failed to tackle the problem robustly. The Committee on Standards in Public Life has shown that, since 2001, some 342 cases of electoral malpractice have been reported by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service. My hon. Friend the Member for Orpington (Mr. Horam) was correct to note that it was simply unrealistic of the Minister to accuse us of scaremongering, although I agree that more research on fraud is needed.