Today I asked an Urgent Question, forcing the Government to discuss their new strategy for ‘modern and secure elections’ after they’d decided to release it first to the press on Monday.
Its ironic that the Democratic Minister saw fit to announce the Government’s democratic reforms to the press before presenting them to the democratic Chamber of the House of Commons. Due to the summer recess beginning next week, there will now be no Parliamentary scrutiny of this policy until September. A key proposal within this strategy is to extend the right to vote to 16-year-olds— who are unable to stand in elections, buy a lottery ticket, or an alcoholic drink. A 16-year-old is not a fully independent legally. The right to vote should match other broader adult responsibilities.
My colleagues and I strongly welcome the Government’s U-turn on not scrapping voter ID. However, as they expand the list of accepted forms of ID—including UK-issued bank cards—they must ensure that the integrity and security of the ballot box are not compromised.
Furthermore, while the proposed tightening of rules around political donations is a step in the right direction, the Government must ensure that all donors are properly registered on the electoral roll to protect our democratic system.
