Government plans for Electoral Commission criticised as “power grab”

Campaigners have warned that government proposals to reform the Electoral Commission amount to a “power grab” and called on ministers to rethink the plans.

Electoral Reform Society chief executive Darren Hughes today said the elections bill threatens the independence of the Commission and raises “serious questions about its ability to fulfil its role in protecting our elections from fraud and abuse”.

“The government’s proposals amount to a power grab,” Hughes said. “It’s no wonder that academics, civil society and campaigners have sounded the alarm about these dangerous plans.”

The proposed reforms of the elections watchdog include allowing MPs to set its priorities, rather than the Electoral Commission board, and banning the organisation from proposing criminal prosecutions for election wrongdoing.

Responding to the measures outlined by the government, the Commission said it was important that “independence is preserved” and warned that “some changes announced today place a fetter on the Commission which would limit its activity”.

The warning from the Electoral Reform Society came after senior Tories criticised the Commission for circulating a briefing to MPs arguing that the elections bill is “not consistent with the Electoral Commission operating as an independent regulator”.

A former minister said the briefing was “completely wrong” because the legislation affects the organisation, and Conservative backbencher Peter Bone MP branded the Commission a “discredited organisation that is giving its own personal view”.

Referring to the comments made by Conservative politicians, Hughes said: “This latest round of attacks on the Electoral Commission is yet another attempt to undermine the role of our independent elections watchdog.

“Far from protecting our elections, the government’s elections bill threatens to damage the integrity of our democratic processes. It poses a serious risk to the independence of the Electoral Commission – weakening our elections regulator at a time when it has never been more important.”

He also urged ministers to consider recommendations put forward recently by the committee on standards in public life and wait for the outcome of an inquiry by the public administration and constitutional affairs committee.

The cross-party public administration and constitutional affairs committee launched an inquiry into the government’s elections bill after the government rejected a petition against mandatory voter ID, a proposal included in the bill.

Ministers have argued that the controversial measure, which campaigners have warned could disenfranchise more than two million people across the country, is necessary to protect the integrity of the democratic process in the UK.

Campaigners have also criticised the “staggering” cost of the plan, which would require photo identification for voting, after an official government impact assessment reported that the policy could cost up to £180m over the next decade.

Keir Starmer criticised the proposed legislation in his response to the Queen’s Speech in May this year, telling Boris Johnson that the bill would make it harder for people to vote, “tramples on civil liberties” and “discriminates”.