Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill — Clause 11 — Number and distribution of seats — Isle of Wight — 15 Feb 2011 at 19:46

The majority of MPs voted against requiring all parts of the Isle of Wight be included in a constituency which is wholly in the Isle of Wight.

A majority of MPs voted against Lords amendment 20 to the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, which would have prevented any constituency from covering both part of the Isle of Wight and part of the UK mainland. In voting for this amendment, MPs were implying that they consider that constituencies being of equal size is of more importance than their fitting geographical features (such as, in this case, the fact that part of the constituency is on an island).

The text of the rejected new clause which Lords amendment 20 would have introduced read:

• 6A
• (1) All parts of the Isle of Wight must be included in a constituency which is wholly in the Isle of Wight.
• (2) Rule 2 does not apply to any such constituency.”

The exemption from rule 2 ensures now other criteria overrule the statement in (1).

This vote was followed by a further vote in which the majority of MPs agreed to create two Parliamentary constituencies wholly on the Isle of Wight.

• [1] Amendment sheet containing the rejected Lords Amendment 20

Debate in Parliament | Source |