Representation of the People Bill is a good day for democracy - but further steps are needed to safeguard our politics
Statement from Unlock Democracy reacting to the government’s press announcement on the Representation of the People Bill
For more information or to arrange a booking, email media.office@unlockdemocracy.org.uk
Commenting on the government’s statement, Tom Brake, Chief Executive of Unlock Democracy, said:
“This is a good day for democracy - but not as good as it could have been. At a time of global democratic backsliding, when US lawmakers are trying to make it harder to vote and harder to register, this package of common-sense measures will go some way to strengthening participation and trust in our politics. But further steps are needed before the Bill becomes law.”
On the absence of a commitment to restore the independence of the Electoral Commission:
“It’s baffling that the government has chosen not to restore the independence of the Electoral Commission. Public confidence that our elections are free and fair depends on the Commission being independent of the government of the day - a point Labour made repeatedly not that long ago. Their apparent change of heart leaves the watchdog highly vulnerable to political pressure. We hope ministers will see the error of their ways before it’s too late.”
On voter registration measures:
“We strongly support measures to improve voter registration. Everyone has a right to vote for those who represent them in Parliament. Automatic voter registration will help ensure everyone can make their voice heard, and that Parliament truly represents the people it serves.” (1)
On lowering the voting age to 16:
“16-year olds are already voting in two of the UK’s four nations. Scotland’s experience since 2014 shows young people are eager to participate, and when they start voting early, they keep voting as they get older. (2) That can only be good for our democracy.”
On political finance measures:
“We welcome steps to shut down foreign interference in our democracy - foreign billionaires, no matter their corporate holdings in the UK, have no business making political donations here.
“But while the government’s proposals seem to pass the ‘Musk test’, in other respects they do not pass muster, most obviously because they will not loosen the grip of domestic big money on our politics. An annual cap on donations from individuals and companies would begin to address public concern that politics can be bought.” (3)
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
(1) 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.
(2) The Conversation, 24th January 2023: ‘Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 - new study’.