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Give London 8 more MPs, says Harman
Nicholas Cecil, Political Correspondent19.10.07
London should have eight more MPs, Commons Leader Harriet Harman claims.
She said ethnic minorities and young people in the capital, as well as people in rented accommodation, were under-represented in the Commons.
However, these groups were far less likely to be on the electoral register than middle-aged, white homeowners. Constituencies sizes are based on the number of people on the electoral register in each one.
Labour deputy leader Ms Harman, the MP for Camberwell and Peckham, warned this was a "fundamental, structural inequality" in British democracy.
She told a Commons lunch: "We should have eight more members of the House of Commons representing London."
Residents send a form back to their local council to ensure they are on the register.
Ms Harman suggested town halls could put people on the register automatically, using information gleaned from other official records.
