Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

That strikes me as an eminently sensible way of doing business, but in those days we were dealing with relatively minor details. On this occasion, it is the fundamental principles that noble Lords opposite dislike so much. Having themselves introduced the concept of AV, they are now the first to deny it. They say that it is not the principle of AV but that it is the wrong date; it is the wrong time and it is the wrong electorate. Not enough women or BMEs voting, it is not in Gaelic, and other issues have been brought forward in a plethora of other amendments. But when it comes to reducing numbers in the House of Commons, they totally oppose the principle. There is some shaking and nodding of heads opposite. There is a confusion of policy. We still do not know whether it is official Labour Party policy to campaign in elections around the country for 650 MPs. If it is, they might want to tell us how they got to the figure of 650. I look forward to that.