Date: 10th March 2004
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Following publication of the latest figures showing that the Isle of Wight remains the largest constituency in the United Kingdom with over 100,000 electors Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner has revealed LibDem support for ever more politicians. In a recent exchange in the House of Commons Andrew Turner questioned why the Scots needed five representatives either in Westminster or the Scottish Parliament for every 100,000 electors whilst the Island has only one Parliamentary representative. In answer to his question the LibDem spokesman on the constitution John Thurso told the Island’s MP that rather than saying Scotland is over-represented he should be complaining that English constituencies did not have enough politicians.

Andrew Turner said,
“This answer reveals the true agenda of the Liberal Democrats who are obsessed with creating more and more politicians. The Isle of Wight may be the biggest constituency in the country but for the Lib Dem spokesman to suggest that instead of one politician we need five is quite simply ludicrous. They seem incapable of understanding that politicians cost money – taxpayers money - not only directly in salaries and running costs but in the burgeoning bureaucracy they create, and of course the cost to service-providers of responding to their enquiries on constituents’ behalf!

“The Lib Dems seem wedded to more national politicians – and a whole tranche of regional ones - with no thought to the costs involved. The average cost of just one Member of the Scottish Parliament is over £317,000 per year yet they do not even cover all the work of a Westminster MP. I believe my constituents can do without having to fork out another £1.2million just to have four more elected representatives and I have yet to meet an Islander who thinks differently.”

Although admitting to a heavy workload the Island’s MP went on to outline some of the advantages of representing the largest constituency in the country.
“One of the rewards of representing a large constituency with a clear identity is that other people understand where I come from and where I am talking about – on a radio programme recently the presenter commented that I had mentioned my constituency by name at least five times, a colleague was challenged why he had not mentioned even once the people he represents – I am afraid his response was ‘there is no such place as Ealing North.

“Whilst some might argue that there is a case to be made for one more Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight I am proud that my constituency is instantly recognisable by name and by shape. I was given cufflinks in the shape of the Isle of Wight for Christmas – if any other MP was given a similar gift in the shape of their constituency nobody would have any idea what they were supposed to represent.” End

Further details : Extract from Hansard

Mr. Andrew Turner: Will the hon. Gentleman explain, for the benefit of my constituents, why 100,000 Scots electors need five Members of Parliaments—and I mean Parliaments, in the plural—to represent them, whereas the constituents of the Isle of Wight need only one? [Interruption.] I know that that question has been asked before, but we did not get an answer.

John Thurso (Lib-Dem front-bench spokesman on the Constitution): I will leave the explanation to the hon. Gentleman's constituents to him. If I were in his seat, I would be looking to have proper representation for England. He should be asking why should the people of England have less representation than the people of Scotland, not saying that English Members are disadvantaged compared with those in Scotland. That is the answer to the West Lothian question, as we said in the debate on that question in the Chamber not long ago.