File:Labour for Electoral Reform (51866908252).jpg

Labour Party activist in Parliament Square with a Labour for Electoral Reform t-shirt. Some Labour MPs such as John McDonnell have openly spoken out in favour or proportional representation but most remain opposed. However, as far as I know, all Labour MPs are united in their opposition to the Tory government's Elections Bill.

On Saturday 5 February, protesters gathered outside the British parliament to demand the government drop its proposed election bill which most civil society groups and serious academics agree is an attack on voter rights - a deliberate attempt to either render ineffective or suppress the votes of marginalised and poorer populations.

As the Conservative Party has orientated itself increasingly to the service of corporate interests, it has had to devise successful ways to win elections, despite having policies that are detrimental to all but very high income earners. In part it has been able to do this through the promotion of culture wars, whipping up Islamophobia, stoking fears of Britain being 'swamped' by refugees as well as inciting fears of an immediate threat from supposed enemy states such as China or Russia.

However, the Tories are concerned that even such divide and rule strategies are not sufficient to allow them to continue to win elections, and they are now pinning their hopes on the Elections Bill - which along with its Policing Bill also on its way through parliament - is one of the most worrying attacks on democracy in recent years.

MANDATORY VOTER IDs

The Elections Bill proposes to introduce a mandatory voter ID system - even though all serious political scientists accept that voting fraud is so rare as to be almost non existent (just four people were convicted for voter fraud for the 2019 election).

However, the new IDs will either put off or effectively prevent many people from ethnic minority and poorer backgrounds from voting. They are less likely to have valid forms of identification. At a series of pilot trials in which voter ID was used during local elections in 2018 and 2019, 1,159 people were turned away from polling stations.

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/04/millions-in-uk-face-disenfranchisement-under-voter-id-plans" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/04/millions-in-uk-f...</a>

However, if the system goes national it is likely that tens of thousands will be effectively deprived of the right to vote. The cost of implementing it will also be considerable and will fall on already struggling local authorities.

VOTING TO BE MADE EASIER FOR THE ELDERLY BUT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE YOUNG

Under the proposed legislation, the elderly will be allowed to use travel passes as a form of ID, but young people (who are far more likely to vote Labour or Liberal) will not be allowed to do so.

VOTING TO BE MADE EASIER FOR WEALTHIER CITIZENS BASED OVERSEAS

On the other hand, the rules relating to voting for British citizens registered to vote overseas, who tend to be far wealthier than the average voter and therefore usually vote Conservative, will be made easier. There will no longer be a fifteen year limit and they will only have to register every three years, whereas currently they must do so annually.

MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR LABOUR AND THE UNIONS TO EFFECTIVELY FUND ELECTIONS

New measures on the limits to third party contributions could significantly cut Labour campaign spending - for details see either of the following links -

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/07/election-bill-could-cut-millions-from-labour-campaign-spending-say-unions-party-finances" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/07/election-bill-co...</a>

<a href="https://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/stand-up-for-democracy-oppose-the-elections-bill/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/stand-up-for-democracy-op...</a>

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION TO BE OUTLAWED IN MAYORAL ELECTIONS

First Past the Post voting would also be imposed on mayoral elections. At the moment voting for the mayors of London, Manchester and some other local authorities is based on a form of proportional representation - the transferable vote system. However, the Conservatives hope that by forcing a less representative first past the post (FPTP) system and outlawing the transferable vote that would benefit them, as under FPTP the opposition would be divided between several liberal and left wing candidates.

EVEN A LEADING TORY MP AND A FORMER SHADOW HOME SECRETARY OPPOSES THE BILL

Tory MP David Davis, has joined the chorus of condemnation from both the opposition and civil society, declaring that the bill 'risks undermining one of the most fundamental rights we have here in the UK - to vote freely without restriction.'

FOR MORE INFORMATION

<a href="https://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/stand-up-for-democracy-oppose-the-elections-bill/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/stand-up-for-democracy-op...</a>