Is The Isle of Wight a sprat?

Who would call the Island a "sprat"? Lord Anderson of Swansea, that's who. It may be the biggest constituency in the country, but when the House of Lords are debating what the Deputy Prime Minister has called the greatest constitutional change for nearly 200 years the row over the number of MPs needed on the Isle of Wight might seem insignificant.

Perhaps Lord Anderson should have spoken more cautiously. The government lost the vote, shortly after he said this:

"There has to be some serious discussion-not just throwing a few sprats, such as the Isle of Wight, to the Opposition-because this is a matter of very considerable importance."

Lord West of Spithead: My Lords, I declare an interest in that I have holidayed on the Isle of Wight for some 40 years in a family cottage, I have been a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes for 30 years, I lived in Southsea and Portsmouth for some 20 years, I am the chancellor of Southampton University and know that town well, and my family come from the New Forest. So I know both sides of that not inconsiderable patch of water. A battle was fought at Spithead and I parked more than 170 ships in the east Solent for the bicentennial. It is a large stretch of water.

Lord Hamilton of Epsom: As everybody will know, I have spoken in the debate on the first half of this Bill only against the Government and, indeed, have voted against the Government. This is a time when I intend to support the Government-or I hope that I am supporting the Minister. If he makes an exception over the Isle of Wight, the argument about communities will be rerun about every conceivable constituency
around the country. It is extremely dangerous to start making exceptions. The effect of this Bill is going to be that a number of constituencies that have been a coherent whole will be broken up, but that is the result of the Bill. Once you start on exceptions, why should it end with the Isle of Wight?

Lord Wallace I will undoubtedly express to my honourable friend the strength of feeling and the argument that has been put in this House. I indicated yesterday that I am not in a position to make any commitment and that is why I hesitate to go further. The most I can do is to ensure that ministerial colleagues-not only Mr Harper-are made well aware of what has been said in this debate and of the strength, the conciseness and the power that have lain behind the arguments that have been put.