A Liberal Democrat peer questioned the government’s ability to keep promises during oral questions in the House of Lords today.
Lord Tyler poked fun at the government today asking if "Labour manifestos mean nothing unless Conservatives agree with them."
The Liberal Democrat constitutional affairs spokesman said that a referendum to change the first-past-the-post election system made it through the House of Commons with a majority of 365 to 187 votes, but the new voting system being created did not reflect the original promises made in the Labour party’s manifesto in May 1997.
And Peers teased Lord Tunnicliffe, the government spokesman, asking when the Bill for the alternative vote would reach the upper chamber and if he believed it would make it through the Lords.
Lord Tunnicliffe said those were questions were for the business managers.
He also told the House that a proportional vote system was discussed and defeated yesterday.
Peers also asked whether or not the government believed the alternative vote system would impact electorate involvement.
He said under AV, campaigns would focus more on constituencies and voters creating a greater connection between the electorate, constituency and candidate.
But peers asked why, if a referendum to the voting system was such a brilliant idea had it not come about at an earlier time in the Commons.
He replied: "My lords I honestly don’t know the answer to that question."
