The #QueensSpeech was full of platitudes and vague noises when it came to housing, cost of living, and the environment. Yet the dangers were more clearly expressed: attacks on human rights and on democracy.
Say hello to the newly formed APPG for Fair Elections. This cross-party group is fighting for:
⚖️ Proportional representation
💰 Restrictions on dark money in politics
🤔 Countering harmful political disinformation
Read more about our plans 👇
https://t.co/WkYSLEqBhW
Did you know that the upcoming #LocalElections 2023 are the first elections held in the UK that will require voters to show ID to be able to vote? 🗳️🆔
Here is our extensive guide to what #voterID will mean for you 👇
A fascinating map from @UnlockDemocracy@electoralreform@OpenBritainHQ and @fairvoteuk showing how many potential voters in each region could be disenfranchised. Estimate = 2.1 million. If you care, if you want to help decide the next Govt, make sure you have #VoterID in time.
During the voter ID pilots, they tested both poll cards with barcodes and the option of two pieces of non-photo ID if you didn’t have a photo ID. But the most restrictive requirement was the option the government decided to go with. https://t.co/huCB2PZf4P
The government is rejecting fair compromise on voter ID:
❌ Refused to expand the list of IDs (no student ID)
❌ Rejected Canadian-style "vouching"
❌ Rejected more lenient schemes
They're insisting on suppressing as many votes as possible.
The Government is having few successes, if any, bigger than its attempts to reduce the potential for likely opponents to be able to vote through over bureaucratic, and hugely expensive (£180m), requirements for Photo ID at polling stations. #voterID
The Lords have a chance to cause a rethink on #voterid today.
The current voter proposals are unnecessary, may lead to many people not voting and will put the system under real strain https://t.co/z8lcRsUpk7
Surely there are other pressing problems facing the country right now?
Govt accused of undermining @ElectoralCommUK's crucial independence and impartiality with no rationale or "independent evidence".
From the @CommonsLUHC report:
The government have finally published the list of ID they will allow you to use to vote - six of the Government-accepted IDs are specifically targeted at older people, while almost none are aimed at younger people. https://t.co/NENwFDJu24
Voter ID is a blatant attempt to exclude certain demographics from voting, all under the guise of "electoral reform". It's dishonest, undemocratic, and disgraceful.
16-year-olds could be registered to vote when they are issued with their National Insurance Number, so they are ready to vote at the first opportunity. https://t.co/KlqIV2s8al
This needs to be a bigger story. @ElectoralCommUK is the UK's last line of defence against shady campaign finance violations and dark money.
This quiet stripping away of its powers and independence is incredibly dangerous.
The Commission themselves have warned us explicitly:
We and others in the @DemDefCoalition warned from the start about this exact situation.
The #ElectionsBill was bad policy in every possible sense. We'll keep pushing for REAL electoral reform.
Second Reading of the Public Order Bill has started! Follow along here — for at least some of it. (I’ll be taking a break sometime between 6pm and 7pm.)
A thread…