Electoral Integrity Bill

The Government are trailing the idea that they will bring forward a bill - provisionally entitled the Electoral Integrity Bill - after the Queen’s Speech in May. 

A flavour of its content has already been revealed; voter ID, further extending First Past the Post, extending voting rights for British expats etc.

Yesterday we polled our members for their views on this Bill.  With 86% saying the Bill will be bad for democracy, there is clearly some scope for improvement!

Take voter ID.  When voter ID was introduced in Northern Ireland (NI) to counter a lack of public confidence in the electoral process, in all subsequent elections turnout fell.

That lack of confidence in voting is not present outside of NI.  The Electoral Commission’s 2020 survey found 80% are satisfied with the actual process of voting at elections (up from 76% in 2019).

So, if the Government insist on proceeding with a measure that has been widely-described as a solution trying to find a problem, they will have to set out a comprehensive programme of action.  This must halt any slide in turnout, particularly amongst the communities most likely to be affected by the introduction of voter ID; the elderly, the young, renters and BAME communities. 

Better still, the Government should outline its proposals for dealing with the real voter problem - the failure to get more than 9 million people onto the register and able to take part in elections.  

That is an approach that would appeal to a wide cross section of the population, many campaign organisations and other political parties, winning the Government some plaudits, and striking a blow for electoral integrity.