An assault on democracy

IN the Commons last week something exceptional happened. Virtually en bloc Conservatives and Lib Dems, including their respective ministers, trooped through opposing lobbies to vote against one another.

The issue was, apparently, rather dry — a motion to overturn a House of Lord's amendment to the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill. An amendment that delays proposed parliamentary boundary changes until 2018.

As a result of the Lib Dems breaking ranks, a bill that would have equalized the number of electors within each parliamentary constituency in time for the next General Election now lies ruined.

The rationale for boundary changes is compelling. Under the current arrangements we have seats with wildly differing electorates. How can it be right that Aberconwy has just 45,000 electors whilst the Isle of Wight has 111,00? The Lib Dems themselves accept that boundary changes are right in principle — indeed, until recently I sat in the Commons intently listening to Nick Clegg and his colleagues arguing for the very proposals they have now voted down.

So why the flip-flop? The reason given is the failure of the Conservatives to deliver House of Lords Reform in the face of a mutiny of its backbenchers. A reform that would have given the Lib Dems the balance of power in an elected upper chamber for years to come. But there was never a link between delivering Lords reform and boundary changes in the Coalition Agreement or indeed any firm any quid pro quos in that respect.

I realise that all this detail is hardly the hottest gossip down at the Dog and Duck but it does matter if you believe that democracy matters, if you believe that agreements are best not broken and if you believe that the next government should have the greatest possible democratic legitimacy.