Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (Money) (No. 3)

This right-wing rump—for a variety of reasons that I have no time to develop—now stands on the brink of power, but they would never have been in power again if Jenkins had been listened to and electoral reform had been implemented. Do the maths; look at any opinion poll; add up the Labour and the Liberal and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists and Respect and other parties, and it is easy to see that there is a very clear centre-left majority in this country. What would be wrong with an electoral system that gave the House of Commons the actual levels of representation that the people had voted for? My last words on this—[Hon. Members: ““Hooray.””] Yes, they don't like it up 'em, Madam Chairman. That is for sure—[Interruption.] Well, some of them do! My last words are that proportional representation is about giving people what they vote for. I have heard all sorts of asinine comments tonight about small parties being the prerogative for idiots. It was twice said that people who vote for the third or the fourth party are idiots. Well, that is a good way to increase their popularity, but those people have as much right to choose how this House of Commons looks like as any of those supporting what we increasingly less often can call the major parties. Proportional representation is about giving people a House of Commons that reflects how they voted. What is wrong with a system that provides 10 per cent. or 30 per cent. or 50 per cent. of the seats in a Parliament if the party received 10 per cent. or 30 per cent. or 50 per cent. of the votes. What is wrong with that? I will tell you what is wrong with it, Mrs. Heal. It would put the iron-clad consensus that normally exists across this Chamber out of business—and that would be a good thing, too.