Thread by @pimlicat

Lord Judge making a very eloquent and powerful speech in HoL right now on the Elections Bill clauses that will defang the independent elections watchdog and give even more powers to ministers.

And now Lord Blunkett stands up to back Judge. Reminds HoL that when New Labour had an even bigger majority than Johnson has now, they didn't abuse that power to be able to mark their own homework at election time.

Reminds the House that there is no mandate for removing independence of the Electoral Commission given it wasn't in the Conservative Party manifesto

'This is a solution in pursuit of a problem that doesn't exist...it will be rued by us all if we don't get it right...support the amendment'

Lord Young (Con) says yes 'if Blair Gvt had tried to do this my party would've opposed it'

'If it was right for my party to oppose it then, it is right for my party to oppose it now'.

Lord Grocott (Lab) says Gvt's proposals would be akin to one football team telling the referee how to apply the rules

'Elections need adjudicators...I urge everyone to see the fairness of that and back Lord Judge's amendments'

Viscount Hailsham (Con) 'these clauses are designed to make the Commission the implementer of Government will.

I have been in public life for 40 years & conclude that if you give powers to the Executive or officials in time they are certain to be abused or misused'

'The PM illegally prorogued parliament and is thinking of reneging on the NI Protocol, an international treaty he only recently signed up to...I for one am not prepared to give powers to a Gvt that will damage further the respect of our democratic institutions'

Baroness Jones (Green) 'I make a plea to the opposition parties that we hold firm and improve this legislation..we won't pass this Bill if the EC clauses stay in it'

--> basically saying we must pingpong and not let the HoC just take these amendments out.

Lord Cormack (Con) reminds peers that all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

'For a Gvt to take these powers for itself is something with which we should not put up...it's a potential seizure of power we wouldn't have countenanced from a Lab Gvt 22 yrs ago'

'We must curb the arrogance of power and ensure these clauses are removed or defeat the entire Bill'.

Excellent too from Lord Stunnell (LD) who affirms we won't pass the Bill with these clauses in.

And now Lord Hodgson up to try and defend this power grab by Con ministers.

Says he's not enthusiastic about Clauses 15 & 16. Pretty weak if that's all you can muster...

(ps Happy Birthday Lord H!).

Baroness Noakes (Con) says Clauses 15 & 16 are about holding the Electoral Commission to account and says if you oppose them you should explain how the EC will be held to account.

(Prob is we're all more worried about holding Gvt to account)

Noakes says yes Gvt might influence the EC, but we shouldn't assume 'all influence is malign' !!!!!!!

Pahahahahahahaha. How do you keep a straight face saying?! Props to her.

Lord Hayward (Con) up now. In relation to referees. 'I wear my rugby referees tie today. No player or spectator has accused me of being anything other than impartial (incompetent maybe).
Asks Electoral Commission look at policing issues themselves and not pass them on to others

But says, these Clauses don't remedy his concerns and disagrees with Noakes - no matter how subtly you do it you are influencing nonetheless and not letting others have the same influence.

'We do not need to tie the EC to guidance from the Gvt'

"Looking at international elections, I want the honour of being able to say to other countries, look what we do and follow that as closely as poss because that is the best way to run your elections and with these clauses I could not do that."

LD Lord Wallace up now. 'Responsibility of this Bill has been moved from Cabinet Office to Levelling Up...meaning Lord True is the only minister for constitution...we are in a wider constitutional crisis, at home and internationally with growth of autocracies around the world'

Remind us of Danny Finklestein's article last week that said because our constitution isnt written in one place we must insist rules and conventions are followed.

Asks the Minister how these clauses fit with his party's principles of limited gvt and parliamentary sovereignty

Baroness Hayman (Lab) says these clauses would allow interference in our elections by the government of the day, says it's a dangerous precedent, and in other western democracies there is ALWAYS a separation between gvt and elections regulator.

Lord True (Gvt Minister) now up to respond to the debate.

Says HoL is a revising chamber and these amendments don't revise but remove. Shares their concerns for democratic accountability but there are threats to kill the whole bill, which also contains lots of good things

(I mean, very very little and it's better than it was since it's been tweaked).

Intervention from Lord Cormack who tells True, 'Just delete these clauses and we'll pass the Bill'

True says 'it is vital we have an independent regulator' but then maintains the need for these Clauses to stay in the Bill.

Says hard for parliament to hold EC to account.

But these clauses don't give parliament the power, it gives MINISTERS the power. Most of whom stand for election...pretty weak come back. He's not persuading anyone.

Says when carrying out their functions the Commission will be asked to consider a Gvt statement in the discharge of their functions, but there are a number of safeguarding provisions built in to the Bill that should reassure the House.

(pro tip - they're not reassured)

Says parliament will be able to discuss any government statement and Speaker's Committee remit isn't sufficient as currently constituted.

Blunkett asks him which Select Committees have Government Ministers - haha.

True responds saying the Speaker's Committee will have a broader remit for overseeing EC's work. Doesn't really answer Blunkett's point at all...

Lord Judge up to respond to Minister.

1) Clauses were introduced with no discussion. Surely of all things this needed cross party discussion.
2) 'Having regard to' means you will be influenced.

Says the Gvt WANTS the EC to be influenced.

VOTES!

💥💥💥 WIN - GVT DEFEATED IN LORDS

Contents: 265
Not Contents: 199

💥💥💥

#ElectionsBill now goes to the Commons AMENDED.

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