Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Rejected
Government's delay in simplifying electoral law risks serious consequences
Conclusion
We are however concerned that the Government has not put in motion the work necessary to simplify and consolidate electoral law. It is clear to us that the conclusion of the Law Commissions’ report was correct, and that the UK would be better off with a single elections act. We note the Government’s concern that the exercise of simplification and consolidation may take some time, which would likely span over Parliaments. However, it seems imperative to us that this work is started. If it is not started in this Parliament, it will only perpetuate the problem of kicking the issue of electoral law into the long grass. We fear that the longer this is put off, the more likely something will go seriously or catastrophically wrong. (Conclusion, Paragraph 46)
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns but rejects the immediate commencement of electoral law simplification and consolidation, explaining that such a major reform would be a multi-Parliamentary undertaking and not a current priority over its manifesto commitments and ongoing electoral review.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
While we understand the calls for consolidation of electoral law, major reform would require careful consideration and an extensive amount of time. Full-scale consolidation and simplification, as called for by the sector and recommended by the Committee, would require in-depth review and modernisation alongside consolidation. Achieving this would be the job of more than one Parliament. We must also be realistic when considering the amount of time for any government to achieve the promises set out in the manifesto upon which it was elected. Commitments made to the electorate must be a priority. This Government already has an ambitious agenda to improve our elections, including giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections and strengthening the rules around donations to political parties. We are focused on delivering that agenda. However, we are cognisant of the challenges facing elections teams and will continue to look at areas which help to modernise and improve electoral process and delivery. We have already begun work to look more closely at this through our Review of Electoral Registration and Conduct. This Review and its recommendations provide an important first step in identifying essential changes which are needed to address the biggest risks and challenges in electoral delivery. We are confident that these measures, combined with the approach to electoral reform outlined in our recently published Strategy, will deliver much needed improvements for both administrators and electors, and the proposals put forward have been generally welcomed by the electoral sector. It should also be noted that consolidation of electoral law was out of scope of the Review due to the scale of work involved.