General Election: Postal Voting Fraud

Lord Rennard Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, I am not quite sure how that is about electoral fraud, which is what we are discussing today.

[Lord Rennard (LD)]

My Lords, given the widespread abuse of the postal voting system and the ease with which it was possible to cheat in the most recent Tower Hamlets mayoral election, will the Government accept the need to review our election laws to provide more safeguards for democratic principles? If so, what is the justification for the abolition of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee, which examines such matters?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, the Tower Hamlets situation was dealt with in the courts, so I do not want to comment on that. I am sorry, but can the noble Lord just repeat the other part of the question?

[Lord Rennard]

I understand. If election law were to be revised, in the previous Parliament the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee in the other place would have looked at that revised law. However, the Government are now abolishing that Select Committee, which I believe cannot be justified. What is the justification for the abolition of that Select Committee?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, as is known, the Government do not get involved in Select Committees, so that is not a point for me to answer here.