Next week, the Government’s dangerous Elections Bill will be back in Parliament.
The bill sets out plans to spend up to £20 million extra per election to demand photo ID at polling stations.
With millions of people lacking the right paperwork, these expensive plans could disenfranchise over two million voters according to the government’s own figures.
Far from improving our elections, this bill will drive a bulldozer through our democracy – it’s a dangerous policy that must be stopped.
ERS wants to hit 50,000 signatures on their petition – please can you add your name – https://ers.tools/voter-id
And please can you share the link to the petition https://ers.tools/voter-id with others.
The expensive voter ID plans aren’t all the bill contains though – it also tries to neuter our independent elections watchdog.
For the first time ever, the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission has a single party majority on it. Now the government want to write a ‘Strategy and Policy Statement’ for the Electoral Commission – setting out what the Government think should be the Commission’s priorities.
As Britain continues to struggle with the pandemic, the government’s priority seems to be passing legislation that makes it harder for people to vote – and easier for MPs to set their own rules.
Make Votes Matter
So you think you live in a democracy?
Thursday 16 September at 19:15 for 19:30 to 21:00
The UK needs real democracy.
Our voting system means that Parliament does not reflect the voters, that millions of people do not have votes that count, and that the country is stuck with confrontational politics not fit to respond to the challenges of the 21st Century.
You can register for this event – HERE
Make Votes Matter promotes the adoption of a modern system of PR that makes seats match votes and means all votes count equally.
In the December 2019 election the Conservatives gained 44% of the vote on a turnout of about 2/3rds, and 56% of the seats, and with an 80 seat majority – 100% of the power.
Only two countries in Europe still use First Past the Post for general elections: one is the dictatorship in Belarus; the other is the United Kingdom.
Make Votes Matter is the national movement for Proportional Representation.
‘The UK and the EU: How We Will Rejoin’
Online Event with Professor AC Grayling
Tuesday 21 September 2021 19:00 to 20:00
Bath for Europe and Alliance4Europe host Professor AC Grayling, who will be talking about rejoining the European Union: how and when, and what we need to do to make it happen sooner rather than later – with some very practical suggestions included.
To register for this event CLICK ON THIS LINK
Professor Grayling is the Founder and Principal of New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, and its Professor of Philosophy. He is also a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford.
There is more information about Professor Grayling and Alliance4Europe on the Event Page