Key Facts

• The new regime requires promoters behind digital campaign material to declare themselves.
• Telephone calls and SMS messages will not be included in the scope of the regime due to impracticalities.
• Amendments aim to remove exceptions based on 'not reasonably practicable' conditions.
• The current Bill allows promoters to avoid placing an imprint on digital material if it is not 'reasonably practicable'.
• Amendments aim to require imprints to appear directly on the material itself.
• Scottish parliamentary elections saw parties place imprints only on home pages, not on actual promoted content.
• Clauses 38 and 39 stand part.
• Government amendment 2 proposed.
• Clauses 40 to 43 stand part.
• Government amendments 21 and 22 proposed.
• Schedule 10 is the Tenth schedule to the Bill.
• Clauses 44 to 46 stand part.
• Government amendment 3 proposed.
• Clauses 47 and 48 stand part.
• Schedule 11 is the Eleventh schedule to the Bill.
• Clauses 49 and 50 stand part.
• Government amendments 4 to 6 proposed.
• Clauses 51 to 56 stand part.
• Two types of electronic material in scope: paid-for and unpaid or organic.
• Paid-for material must include an imprint at all times regardless of who promoted it.
• Unpaid material requires an imprint only from specific political entities like registered parties, candidates, etc.
• Breaching the digital imprint rules will be a criminal offence punishable by potentially unlimited fines in England and Wales.
• Amendment 93 is moved by Patrick Grady.
• The amendment requires consultation with Devolved Administrations before making regulations under clause 57.
• Mark Pritchard moves to discuss clause stand part and clauses 58 to 62 standing part.
• Clause 57 provides powers for updating references to secondary legislation.
• Amendment proposes a duty to consult relevant Ministers in devolved institutions before making regulations under clause 57.
• The Government is committed to working constructively with the devolved Administrations.
• The amendments move elections for police and crime commissioners in England and Wales, the Mayor of London, combined authority Mayors and local authority Mayors to the simple majority voting system.
• The Government’s manifesto committed to supporting the first-past-the-post system as reflected in a nationwide referendum where two thirds of voters favoured retaining it for parliamentary elections.
• Amendment 59 modifies the long title of the Bill to include provision about the use of the first-past-the-post system in elections.
• The Government has been criticized for not recognizing a manifesto commitment until an instruction motion was issued.
• New clause 1 was tabled without prior knowledge of Committee members or colleagues who debated the Bill on Second Reading.
• In the Greater London Authority referendum in 1998, Londoners voted by a majority of 72.01% for a Mayor and assembly with a supplementary vote system.
• London has used the supplementary vote system to elect its Mayor for over 20 years.
• There were issues with spoilt ballot papers at the last election due to design problems.
• The Conservative-led government chose the supplementary vote system for police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales.
• Since 2000, there have been 212 elections using the supplementary vote system in England and Wales.
• The policy was announced in March by the Home Office and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
• People complained about the frustration with the current voting system since its inception in 1998.
• No election result would have been different under first-past-the-post or transferable voting systems.
• Members not on the Committee can attend but must sit in the Gallery.
• They cannot speak or vote, except for contributing from the floor on delegated legislation without voting rights.
• This information was given based on advice from the Clerk.
• New clause 2 proposes using a citizens assembly to reconsider electoral reform.
• Previous referendums on electoral systems, like the alternative vote referendum in 2011, are cited as precedents.
• Mr Grady mentions the legacy of Roy Jenkins and his work on electoral reform.
• Cat Smith highlights a Lancaster City Council citizens' assembly on climate change.
• The proposed citizens' assembly would look at electoral systems and integrity as per the new clause.
• Ireland uses citizens’ assemblies to debate complex issues.
• A vote on the new clause was negatived by 7 Noes and 6 Ayes.
• New clause 11 would require public bodies such as HM Revenue and Customs, DWP, NHS, schools, local authorities, and others to provide information to registration officers.
• New clause 13 would mandate universities and colleges to share student information for voter registration, with the option for students to withhold consent.
• Registration officers must notify individuals within 30 days if they have been automatically registered.
• Millions of citizens are missing from the UK's electoral register.
• Automatic voter registration has been implemented successfully in several countries such as Australia, France, and Sweden.
• New clauses aimed at improving voter registration have been proposed but not supported by the government.
• New clause 8 would amend the Representation of the People Act 1983 by changing '18' to '16'.
• The SNP introduced voting for 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland's 2014 independence referendum.
• Welsh Senedd followed suit shortly after, allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in their national elections.
• Labour party would extend franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds.
• Welsh Labour Government has already done it successfully.
• In Scotland, 75% of 16 and 17-year-olds voted in the referendum.
• 97% of Scottish voters aged 16 and 17 stated they would vote again in future elections.
• The UK general election voting age is currently 18 for England and Northern Ireland.
• New clause 5 aims to allow prisoners serving sentences of up to 12 months to vote in parliamentary elections.
• New clause 6 aims to extend voting rights to all those with settled status in the United Kingdom.
• The new clause reflects similar provisions in the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Act 2020.
• Extending the franchise would include refugees with a right to remain.
• The new clause would allow EU citizens to vote in UK parliamentary elections.
• European citizens have never been entitled to vote in parliamentary elections.
• Mark Pritchard opposes extending voting rights beyond British and Commonwealth citizens.
• The new clause would allow absent vote applications to be made online using an electronic signature.
• Further work is needed to understand the potential burden on electoral administrators and how to introduce online applications securely.
• The Government are committed to increasing participation in democracy through safe, efficient methods.
• New clause would allow voters to apply for proxy votes on grounds of a personal emergency up to election day.
• Government extended deadline for proxy voting during the COVID pandemic due to health concerns.
• Minister for the Constitution wrote to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in February regarding emergency proxy voting.
• New Clause 13 would require universities and colleges to provide voter registration information for their students.
• New Clause 14 amends permissible donors under PPERA by restricting donations from individuals registered as overseas electors.
• Both new clauses were voted on but negatived with Ayes 6 and Noes 8.
• The proposed new clause 14 aims to separate voting rights from donor eligibility for overseas voters.
• Section 54 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is amended by this proposal.
• The Minister suggests having a meeting to discuss the Russia report's findings regarding election security.
• The maximum fine proposed by the new clause is £500,000.
• The current maximum threshold for fines is £20,000.
• The Electoral Commission's fining powers should be increased to 4% of a campaign’s total spend or £500,000 - whichever is higher.
• Political parties are not global corporations; there are over 350 registered with the Electoral Commission.
• Mark Pritchard thanked the Clerks, Doorkeepers, Hansard, and broadcast team.
• He expressed best wishes to his right hon. Friend who is unwell.
• He congratulated the hon. Member for Peterborough on their recent marriage.
• He noted that Austin Powers was mentioned in debate, a first in 10 years of being on the Panel of Chairs.