Conduct Of The Hon. Member For Colne Valley And The Franchise

EDM number 1463 in 1989-90, proposed by Harry Barnes on 25/10/1990.

That this House unreservedly condemns the irresponsible and anti-democratic comments made in an Oral Question to the Prime Minister by the honourable Member for Colne Valley that there is now a case for turning the poll tax into exactly that- for taking the vote away from people who have not paid their community charge and giving it back to them only when they have done so (Official Report, 23rd October, column 187); notes with dismay that the Prime Minister failed to condemn this unprincipled remark; and further notes that the operation of the poll tax has already had an impact upon the sanctity and comprehensiveness of the franchise in that the interconnections of the poll tax and electoral registers has been a key factor in the shortfall of the numbers of people on the electoral register, including the alarming fall of 8.5 per cent. in the franchise in Finchley in the last two years.

This motion has been signed by a total of 66 MPs.