Electoral Commission Investigation: Vote Leave Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Cabinet Office

Electoral Commission Investigation: Vote Leave

Alison McGovern Excerpts
Tuesday 17th July 2018

(6 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Chloe Smith Portrait Chloe Smith
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I shall leave that one there and wait for the next question.

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
- Hansard - -

The Minister’s own words are that this cuts both ways, but I do not think that that is the case. The Electoral Commission has been absolutely clear. It did all it could, but it lacks power to do more. Will the Minister correct herself? This does not cut both ways, does it? As my hon. Friend the Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) said, this is one of the worst, most despicable abuses of electoral law that we have seen in the lifetime of this House.

Chloe Smith Portrait Chloe Smith
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The hon. Lady raises an important point about the powers of the Electoral Commission that has been put forward in its reports—for example, on digital campaigning. As I have said, the Government will be looking at those issues in the round.