Electoral Administration Bill

My Lords, we have a good deal of sympathy with the amendment. The noble Lord, Lord Maginnis, said that Sinn Fein would be out because its members have not sworn the oath required by the Parliamentary Oaths Act 1866. Although that is true, the amendment also provides that representation can be achieved by having two Members in the Northern Ireland Assembly, where of course Sinn Fein is represented and plays an active part because those Members do not have to take the oath of allegiance. Having said that, I think that, if the amendment had recommended that a registered party should also be represented if it had two Members of the European Parliament, we would have preferred that because it would have included the Green Party and the UK Independence Party. Although I have no enthusiasm for UKIP, there is a case for saying that a party with a large enough share of the vote to acquire two or more Members of the European Parliament should also be allowed policy development grants. Elections to the European Parliament cover the whole country and involve far more electors than either the House of Commons or the Welsh Assembly. However, although the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont, tabled an amendment in Grand Committee, it appears that he has not done so on this occasion, and it is a matter for him rather than for us. In the circumstances, I need go no further than to say that, there being no other choice before us, we would be prepared to support the amendment.