Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Conduct of Elections

20 March 2024 · 2 other contributors · 4,443 words

Opened by Wendy Chamberlain Lib Dem North East Fife

Responding minister: Simon Hoare

Democracy & Elections

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Wendy Chamberlain raised concerns about conduct of elections in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Liberal Democrats' leader raised concerns about changes to UK democracy since 2019, including the scrapping of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act and the introduction of voter ID.
  • Up to 8 million people are missing from electoral registers or not correctly registered, affecting urban areas, younger individuals, ethnic minorities, and lower socio-economic groups.
  • The MP urged the Government to consider automatic voter registration and provide clarity on measures for disabled voters ahead of the general election.

Key requests to Government

The MP urged the Government to seriously consider automatic voter registration and provide clarity on measures for disabled voters ahead of the general election. She also asked whether the Minister agrees that big money is a drain on public trust in politics and if there should be a cap on political donations to level the playing field.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Wendy Chamberlain Lib Dem North East Fife

The Liberal Democrats' leader in the debate expressed concerns about changes to UK democracy since 2019, including the scrapping of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act and introduction of voter ID. She highlighted discrepancies in constituency sizes under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act and noted that up to 8 million people are missing from electoral registers or not correctly registered, affecting urban areas, younger individuals, ethnic minorities, and lower socio-economic groups.

Other contributors (2)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Committed to the hon. Lady for securing the debate, Jim Shannon inquired about the applicability of the 2020 Act to all regions of the United Kingdom and highlighted Northern Ireland's successful implementation of voter ID with a proactive campaign from the Government.

  • Lee Anderson Reform Ashfield

    The MP raised points about electoral reform, questioning whether changes aimed at improving democracy have had unintended consequences and if there should be a constitution, democracy, and rights commission.

Government Response

Simon Hoare

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I am grateful to the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain) for instigating this debate on the conduct of elections. The minister refutes claims that the Elections Act 2022 and subsequent guidance were designed to improve the government's position and states that the results of last year's local elections demonstrate beyond peradventure that such plans did not work, if they existed at all. He also clarifies that the revocation of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act was always intended to be a temporary measure brought in by coalition partners to provide stability. The minister addresses boundary reforms, noting that the next review will report by 2031 based on registers as at December 2028, emphasizing that these changes were long overdue. On voter ID, he asserts that the government cannot rest on its laurels and must ensure electoral processes are fit for purpose in a changing world. He highlights that 99% of all voters have at least one form of acceptable ID and introduces the voter authority certificate, which is free and lasts three years, to meet the needs of those without an acceptable form of ID. The minister also discusses overseas votes, clarifying that qualifying overseas voters cannot choose willy-nilly which constituency to register in and estimating that the potential quantum, including those already qualifying under the old 15-year rule, could be about 3 million. He emphasizes the government's commitment to driving up registration and participation among hard-to-reach groups using gov.uk, local government communication, and working with faith groups, disability groups, and the voluntary sector. The minister concludes by assuring that the Electoral Commission's independence is clear and without challenge and reiterates that the Conservative party has a historical tradition of extending and widening the franchise.

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