Our democracy at risk

To be able to decide whether to cast one’s vote is fundamental to our democracy. Yet it is this right which is under threat from the Government.

In the biggest change to our electoral system since the adoption of the universal franchise, the Government are proposing to introduce a new way to compile the electoral register. Instead of the head of household being asked to complete an electoral registration form, the Government want each individual person to register. This is sensible in itself, and in fact this is what Labour proposed when in government, but the Tory-led Government have added a raft of partisan “twists” which bring into question the very fabric of our democracy.

Under the Government’s draft Bill on Individual Electoral Registration (IER), it is proposed that individuals will not be obliged to co-operate with an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) in the completion of their electoral registration forms. At present, if the head of household does not complete and return an electoral registration form a fine can be issued; now the Government are saying that it will be up to an individual to decide whether to register. In other words, being on the electoral register is no longer to be a civic duty; instead it will become ‘a lifestyle choice’.

In addition, the Government are proposing that the changes be introduced as quickly as possible, without any proper safeguards to ensure accuracy, and with no concern about how the newly compiled electoral register will impact on the Parliamentary Boundary Review of 2015.

Serious worries about the Government’s plans have been voiced by the impartial Electoral Commission. They have supported the move to IER but have real concerns about many of the Government’s proposals. Like many others, they have pointed to the significant shortcomings in the Government’s plans and have even stated that the end result could be a huge reduction in those eligible to vote. At the moment about 85% of the population are on the electoral register; the Electoral Commission estimate that this could be reduced to as little as 65% in some areas. This will mean that millions will be disenfranchised.

If such a change were to occur it could have a profound and negative influence on our democracy. The probability is that a large proportion of young and disabled people, many members of the black and ethnic minority communities, and significant numbers of people living in social and private rented housing are likely not to be on the register.

However, by not being on the electoral register people will not only lose their democratic right to vote, they will also potentially lose out financially because many credit agencies will not be able to carry out credit reference checks. There is also another knock-on effect; as Juries are drawn from the electoral register the composition of our Juries is likely to become more white and middle class. This could have a significant impact on our judicial system and how it is perceived.

In November, a significant voice joined the cacophony of concerns. The cross-party Political and Constitutional Reform Committee of the House of Commons published a highly critical report on the Government’s plans after receiving an impressive amount of evidence. The Committee came forward with a wide range of sensible recommendations. These included the proposal that there should be a full household canvass in 2014 during which a concerted effort should be made to explain how the new electoral registration system will work. The Committee also emphasised the need to ensure that adequate resources are made available for the change to IER and that there should be a detailed implementation plan brought forward at the same time as legislation for IER is introduced to Parliament.

As expected, the Committee has reinforced the Electoral Commission’s call for the so-called “opt-out” to be withdrawn. This opt-out would allow a person to respond to the invitation to register by indicating that they do not wish to receive reminders to return the registration form. In other words, this would amount to a permanent opt-out from the registration process. The Deputy Prime Minister has indicated that this outrageous idea would be looked at again and today we will be watching to see if the Government will choose to “flesh out” the Deputy Prime Minister’s rather incoherent hint.

Today’s Opposition Day debate on IER will be important. Some may think that electoral registration is a somewhat esoteric subject, but the reality is that it is absolutely central to our democracy. Surely, everyone who believes in democratic participation must wish to see as many people as possible on the electoral register. The ability to decide whether to vote goes to the heart of our democratic process. I hope the Government will listen to the huge number of informed voices which have been raised against their proposals and that they will amend their plans in the interests of democracy.

Wayne David MP is the Shadow Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform