Select Committee · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Modernising Elections
Status: Open
Opened: 17 Mar 2026
Inquiry scope
The Government has introduced the Representation of the People Bill, which includes its manifesto commitment to lower the voting age to 16. They have described this Bill as “the biggest expansion of democratic participation in a generation”. The Bill had its second reading on 2 March 2026. This inquiry will examine the health of electoral democracy in the UK today, in light of the decline in voter turnout in recent elections and diminishing voter trust in democratic institutions. We will scrutinise the potential effectiveness of the Government’s proposals for increasing democratic engagement, including its reforms to the voting age and the move towards automated systems of voter registration. We will also consider best practice for implementation of these changes. The Government have commissioned an independent review, led by Philip Rycroft, into foreign financial interference in UK politics. Our inquiry will also consider this issue and the outcome of that review. The Government have said that the measures in the Representation of the People Bill “will mean foreign actors will no longer be able to use their money to interfere in the UK’s elections.” Our inquiry will assess whether these changes will be effective in closing existing loopholes in the rules governing foreign political donations and whether further reforms are needed. Large majorities of voters reported seeing some kind of misinformation on social media at the last general election and do not believe that the enough is being done to tackle this. Our inquiry will also take evidence on what more can be done to reduce voters’ exposure to mis- and disinformation.Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 2026 |
Oral Evidence
Dr Christine Huebner,
Helen Blachford · Association of Citizenship Teaching,
Leigh Middleton OBE · National Youth Agency,
Robert Nicol · Electoral Management Board for Scotland,
Sandra Matthews · Powys County Council
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| 30 Jun 2026 |
Oral Evidence
Dr Sam Power · University of Bristol,
Dr Susan Hawley · Spotlight on Corruption,
Duncan Hames · Transparency International UK,
Philip Rycroft
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| 19 May 2026 |
Oral Evidence
Azzurra Moores · Demos,
Hanno Fenech · Center for Countering Digital Hate,
Marianna Spring · BBC,
Mitali Sud · Internet Matters,
Phoebe Arnold · Full Fact,
Sam Stockwell · Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS)
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| 21 Apr 2026 |
Oral Evidence
Alison Williams · Electoral Commission,
Laura Lock · Association of Electoral Administrators,
Professor Alan Renwick · University College London,
Professor Maria Sobolewska · University of Manchester,
Professor Toby James · University of East Anglia,
Sam Hartley · Electoral Commission,
Tom Jenkins · Boundary Commission for England,
Vijay Rangarajan · Electoral Commission
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Written evidence
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| Reference | Date | Submitter |
|---|---|---|
| MEL0281 | 11 Sep 2026 | Centre for Finance & Security at RUSI |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Alison Williams · Director of Devolution and Law | Electoral Commission | 1 |
| Azzurra Moores · Associate Director for Information Ecosystems | Demos | 1 |
| Dr Christine Huebner | — | 1 |
| Dr Sam Power | University of Bristol | 1 |
| Dr Susan Hawley · Executive Director | Spotlight on Corruption | 1 |
| Duncan Hames · Director of Policy and Programmes | Transparency International UK | 1 |
| Hanno Fenech · UK Policy Manager | Center for Countering Digital Hate | 1 |
| Helen Blachford · Chair of ACT Trustees | Association of Citizenship Teaching | 1 |
| Laura Lock · Deputy Chief Executive | Association of Electoral Administrators | 1 |
| Leigh Middleton OBE · Chief Executive Officer | National Youth Agency | 1 |
| Marianna Spring · Disinformation and social media correspondent | BBC | 1 |
| Mitali Sud · Senior Policy Manager | Internet Matters | 1 |
| Philip Rycroft | — | 1 |
| Phoebe Arnold · Policy and Partnerships Manager | Full Fact | 1 |
| Professor Alan Renwick · Professor of Democratic Politics | University College London | 1 |
| Professor Maria Sobolewska · Professor of Political Science | University of Manchester | 1 |
| Professor Toby James · Professor of Politics and Public Policy | University of East Anglia | 1 |
| Robert Nicol · Vice Convenor | Electoral Management Board for Scotland | 1 |
| Sam Hartley · Director of Policy, Research and Voter Engagement | Electoral Commission | 1 |
| Sam Stockwell · Senior Research Associate | Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS) | 1 |
| Sandra Matthews · Electoral Services Manager and Deputy Returning Officer | Powys County Council | 1 |
| Tom Jenkins · Acting Secretary | Boundary Commission for England | 1 |
| Vijay Rangarajan · Chief Executive | Electoral Commission | 1 |