Time to stop putting democracy up for sale

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2008

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Weston-super-Mare Mike Bell has welcomed the report by the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas recommending that the practice of selling names and personal details from the electoral register be stopped as soon as possible.

"This is a Government which has seemed to specialise in dodgy relationships with big business," said Mike. "So Labour's decision in 2002 to legislate for the sale of electoral registers was no great surprise.

"Voters can tick a box to say that they do not give permission for their details to be sold in that way - but not everyone sees the box. Indeed, most people I have spoken to in Weston did not know the 70,000 names and addresses on our electoral register is sold in this way.

"What message does it send that you register to vote in return for the right to receive double-glazing circulars? The whole approach devalues democracy by putting a price tag on voter registration. The Government must pass new legislation admitting it was wrong and give us all a break from junk mail that is both unwanted and bad for our environment. "