Government’s elections’ strategy a strong platform on which to build, but alarming omission on Electoral Commission independence
Statement from Unlock Democracy reacting to publication of the government’s elections strategy
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Commenting on the government’s elections strategy, published today, Shaun Roberts, Director of Campaigns at Unlock Democracy, said:
“Today shows ministers have listened, and while there is more still to do to strengthen and secure our democracy, the government’s elections strategy is a strong platform on which to build.
“Votes at 16 is long overdue and we are delighted to see the government bringing this forward. The evidence from Scotland, where 16 and 17-year olds have had the vote since 2014, is that young people engage strongly with democracy and, when they start voting early, they keep on voting as they get older. (1) That can only boost our democracy.
“To ensure votes at 16 reaches its potential, it’s pleasing to see the government set out plans to close the voter registration gap by moving towards automated registration. The current system is inefficient and outdated, leaving millions of young people across England and Wales not properly registered to vote. Automatic voter registration is a tried-and-tested solution that would help to guarantee that everyone who wants to vote can do so. We look forward to working with ministers to help the government realise that ambition. (2)
“We also welcome the government’s move to further extend the range of accepted voter IDs. While it won’t resolve the problems caused by voter ID requirements entirely, it will mitigate some of them.
“There are some areas where we think the government could have shown greater ambition.
“Tightening the rules on unincorporated associations, and banning the use of shell companies for political donations, will help to stop foreign money seeping into UK politics.
“But the government’s proposed changes to donation rules don’t pass ‘the Musk test’, in that they would still allow foreign business owners to make big money donations, providing they have ‘sufficient’ income generated in the UK. The public already thinks rich donors massively shape what parties and politicians do and say. (3) Labour’s unwillingness to consider capping donations will leave millions of voters still wondering, ‘who’s pulling their strings?’
“When the last government took away the Electoral Commission’s independence, Labour loudly condemned it. (4) Labour’s silence now [on Electoral Commission independence] is deeply concerning. (5)
“A truly independent elections watchdog is important for giving voters confidence that our elections are free and fair. Restoring this status would be the simplest change imaginable - it’s alarming that Labour seems not to be planning to do so.
“The strategy also fails to address the elephant in the room - our First Past the Post electoral system doesn’t work for the multi-party politics we have today.“
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
(1) The Conversation, 24th January 2023: ‘Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 - new study’.
(2) A system of automatic voter registration (AVR) would allow electoral authorities to use existing data to verify and register voters automatically. A map of England and Wales showing the estimated number of unregistered voters per parliamentary constituency is available here. More details on AVR’s potential impact are available in Unlock Democracy’s report, ‘Register Every Voter’, available here, and on how AVR could be implemented in the UK, here.
(4) Alex Norris, speaking in Parliament, 27th April 2022: “It is not for this government or any government, be they Labour or Conservative, to dictate the priorities of an independent watchdog, especially one that regulates our own elections.”
Lord Khan of Burnley, speaking in Parliament, 6th February 2024: “We agree with the Electoral Commission’s strongly held view that the introduction of a strategy and policy statement enabling the government to guide the work of the Commission is inconsistent with the role that an independent electoral commission plays in a healthy democracy.”
Angela Rayner, writing in The Guardian, 3rd September 2021: “Even the government watchdog, the Electoral Commission, which upholds electoral law and safeguards the integrity and transparency of political parties’ finances, has come under attack. The elections Bill seeks to completely undermine the Commission’s role and end any semblance of independence”.
David Blunkett, quoted in The Guardian, 24th April 2022: “A free and fair election is the touchstone of any functioning democracy, which is why we [Labour] introduced the Electoral Commission despite having a large majority and the political ability to give Labour an advantage in future elections. Revoking that independence would set a dangerous precedent for current and future elections, and would give an unacceptable signal to the rest of the world.”
(5) Jack Straw, speaking as the responsible minister at the second reading debate on the Bill that established the Electoral Commission, 10th January 2000: “To undertake its key role at the heart of our electoral arrangements, the Commission must be as independent of the government of the day as our constitutional arrangements allow, and it must be answerable directly to Parliament and not to ministers.”