Draft Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026 Debate
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Zöe Franklin
Main Page: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)Department Debates - View all Zöe Franklin's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Draft Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026
Zöe Franklin Excerpts(1 week ago)
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Zöe Franklin (Guildford) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond.
We Liberal Democrats are pleased by the reversion to SV and are grateful to the Government for it. We would have liked them to go further and introduce the alternative vote system, but, as the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner mentioned, such discussions have already been had in full.
Before I end by saying that we will support the Government, let me ask the Minister whether the Government will make an order about police and crime commissioner elections in time to ensure that the surprise such election in Norfolk—because there has been a recent resignation—can take place under the SV system. The Government have established that that is a much fairer system so, given that we are making this shift, it seems wrong for that unexpected PCC election to take place under the old system, potentially wasting £2 million of expenses for an election under a system that the Government have admitted is unfair.
The Liberal Democrats will support the draft order. In future, however, we would like to see change go further, and we will continue to press for that.