Sir Patrick Cormack FSA

Conservative Party | Staffordshire South

Question on Home Affairs and Justice

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire) (Con): For wholly different reasons, I endorse the request by the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant). Does the Lord High Chancellor accept that more Conservative Members have voted against an all-elected or 80 per cent. elected House than have voted for it; and will he therefore include at least one representative from the majority opinion on the Conservative Benches in his talks?

Sir George Young (North-West Hampshire) (Con) rose—

Mr. Straw: I think that the right hon. Gentleman may have the answer, so I shall give way.

Sir George Young: A majority of Conservative MPs voted for one of the two elected options.

Mr. Straw: I knew that the right hon. Gentleman would have the answer; he is a very wise and sage man. That merely illustrates—I say this with great respect to the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack)—that it would be impossible to have constructive all-party talks if all shades of opinion across the spectrum were contained within them; we would never agree about anything. The truth is that the formal position of all three parties, as expressed in their manifestos and in the House, is in favour of a wholly or mainly elected second chamber. I know that the hon. Gentleman disagrees.

Sir Patrick Cormack rose—

Mr. Straw: I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman must excuse me, as I have to make some progress.