Oral Answers to Questions

Kate Osborne Excerpts

Thursday 17th December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Julia Lopez]

I would not agree. It is very important to understand that every contract went through the same eight-stage process, where it was looked into. The contracts were done on the grounds of commercial sense, rather than anything to do with any connections. As the NAO report said, Ministers declared all interests and there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.

[Kate Osborne (Jarrow) (Lab)]

What plans the Government have to ensure that the May 2021 local elections are covid-19 secure.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

What plans the Government has to ensure that the May 2021 local elections are covid-19 secure.

[The Paymaster General (Penny Mordaunt)]

The UK Government are working with local returning officers, the Electoral Commission and public health bodies to identify and resolve the challenges involved in delivering the elections next May.

[Kate Osborne]

The May 2021 elections will see a record number of different elections with various different voting systems all taking place on the same day. In normal times this would pose an immense logistical challenge, without the added complications brought about by the pandemic. Will the Minister outline why the Government have ruled out an all-postal ballot and refused to make any legislative changes to consider any new forms of voting, as we have seen across the globe?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Lady for pointing out the extreme challenges that exist to ensure that the elections can take place in a covid-secure environment. They are considerable, but they cannot compromise the security and integrity of the ballot, and we feel that by moving to an all-postal system, that may be the case. We want people to be able to vote in person or by post, and we want them to do that in a covid-secure way, and that is what we and our partners are working towards.