Catalogue description Records of the Independent Commission on the Voting System

Details of NL
Reference: NL
Title: Records of the Independent Commission on the Voting System
Description:

Contains records of the Independent Commission on the Voting System relating to the consideration of electoral reform.
Date: 1998
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Independent Commission on the Voting System, 1997-1998
Physical description: 1 series
Access conditions: Open unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition:

In 1999 Home Office
Administrative / biographical background:

The Independent Commission on the Voting System was established by the government in December 1997 with the remit to report within a year. The Commission started its work in January 1998 with the following terms of reference:

  • -The Commission shall be free to consider and recommend any appropriate system or combination of systems in recommending an alternative to the present system for Parliamentary elections to be put before the people in the government's referendum;
  • -The Commission shall observe the requirement for broad proportionality, the need for stable government, an extension of voter choice and the maintenance of a link between Members of Parliament and geographical constituencies.

Members of the Commission were appointed by the Prime Minister and comprised the following members:

  • The Rt Hon Lord Jenkins of Hillhead OM (Chairman)
  • Lord Alexander of Weedon QC
  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton
  • Sir John Chilcot GCB
  • David Lipsery Esq

The Commission was staffed by officials from the Home Office.

There were twenty formal Commission meetings and one final "winding-up" meeting.

The Report was published in October 1998.

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