Elections Bill

Would the Minister accept that, while some of these measures might be necessary, we have only a 3...

I am pleased the hon. Lady has made that point so early in the debate. I join her, as I want ever...

Does the Minister agree that voter ID is actually voter suppression, and that this Bill misses an...

The short answer is no, no and no, and I am happy to explain why. I am sure we will get on to thi...

A pensioner can bring their bus pass as identification, but the Bill disproportionately disadvant...

I am delighted that the hon. Gentleman is getting into the detail of what is actually being propo...

These proposals were trialled in 2019, and during that trial 2,000 people were turned away for no...

Under this Bill, as is clear in the impact assessment and the associated documents, there will be...

The Minister is making an excellent speech introducing the Bill. There is another side to this is...

My right hon. Friend makes my next point for me, and she is right. It is important that we think ...

I was concerned to hear the Minister imply that concerns about voter suppression are somehow part...

It might not have been the intention of the hon. and learned Lady to assist me in making this cas...

When we cut through the noise, is it not true that the Organisation for Security and Co-operation...

That is exactly the case. Indeed, countries around the world already operate this system with eas...

The Minister alludes to Northern Ireland, which already has this in place. What analysis, if any,...

There is a considerable evidence base on what has happened in Northern Ireland, and the Minister ...

I am pleased that the Minister is taking fraud seriously and has come forward with sensible propo...

I will make two points on that. The first is that we show identification in everyday life, and re...

Does the Minister agree that often the victims of postal vote harvesting are those who come from ...

I fear that that may be right. I know that my hon. Friend and others have experience, for example...

The Minister will be aware that loud claims of personation were made by the Trump campaign in the...

Does the hon. Gentleman, as an experienced Member of this House, think he should be promulgating ...

On people with disabilities, clause 8 talks about people who are blind and about

“such equi...

I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman makes that point, because I know a number of hon. Members ca...

On the Minister’s point about empowering citizens, she will be aware of reforms in Wales and Scot...

I am grateful that the hon. Gentleman has raised that point, because there are two things to be s...

The Minister references the Committee on Standards in Public Life; why has she not included in th...

I shall come to campaign finance shortly, but is that all the right hon. Gentleman has to say on ...

The Minister talks about third-party involvement in our elections. Is she satisfied that the prop...

Yes, I am. What we are doing in the Bill, as I have already explained, is moving undue foreign in...

indicated dissent.

The hon. Lady shakes her head, but that is what it does, and that is important.

We discussed this matter in Westminster Hall back in 2019. As one of my colleagues reminded us, i...

I have three points. First, this Bill does the right thing, as I have just explained. Secondly, t...

rose—

If the hon. and learned Lady would like to come in at this point I will give way, but I think tha...

I am just concerned that the hon. Lady has moved on from dealing with part 4, which deals with re...

Let me gently remind colleagues that the Minister has been on her feet now for 33 minutes. I know...

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker, I shall try to be as quick as I can in concluding my r...

Would this measure translate to websites fronted by political activists masquerading as members o...

Political and election material will be included. I look forward to discussing the finer details ...

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Until this point, the debate was going quite well, but...

Order. The point of order should be addressed to me, rather than to the Minister. I can assure th...

Thank you for your guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I do hope that the other parties who sup...

As colleagues will see, a number of Members would like to speak, so we will start with a time lim...

I beg to move,

That this House declines to give a second reading to the Elections Bill, not...

I am a known critic of this Bill, but I will say to the hon. Lady that when I served through over...

For years now, I have stood opposite the Minister responsible for the constitution and we have ta...

The Minister set out in her opening remarks that 98% of people have access to appropriate ID alre...

Is the hon. Member saying that 2% of his electorate should not have access to democracy? That app...

Does my hon. Friend agree that there is no such thing as a free service? If local councils are in...

My hon. Friend is exactly right. In fact, the Bill contains no details about how local authoritie...

I am extremely grateful to the hon. Member for giving way. Does she agree that it is important no...

The hon. Member is absolutely right: this Bill cannot be seen in isolation. Indeed, the Dissoluti...

The right hon. Member for Elmet and Rothwell (Alec Shelbrooke) has been trying to get in for some...

I am most grateful to the hon. Lady; she is always extremely generous. Does she completely disreg...

It is a pleasure to see the right hon. Member in his place, and it is always a pleasure to debate...

This is my final point on this, and then I will give way. There is currently a case before the Su...

I take it that the hon. Member is referring to successful prosecutions, but one of the problems i...

It appears to be all happening in Wycombe. I believe that I was there for the hon. Gentleman’s sp...

Thank you for your generosity and time. You said clearly that you think the proposal to introduce...

Order. Really, the hon. Gentleman is experienced enough to know that he should not use the word “...

I apologise.

I reassure the hon. Member that I have been a member of the Labour party since 2004—a relatively ...

Is the hon. Member as concerned as I am that comparisons from other countries show that voter ID ...

The hon. Lady makes a good point and is absolutely right. Studies from the United States show tha...

I am really grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way because this piece of legislation is aliena...

I agree entirely. Trade unions are already incredibly heavily regulated, and charities will feel ...

Let me start with a comment relating to the question the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood ...

Has my right hon. Friend looked at schedule 1, which contains a very broad list of valid means of...

The point I would make is that I am quoting from Government research. I did not do this research;...

The right hon. Gentleman is making an excellent speech thoroughly destroying the Government case ...

This is where I differ from the hon. Gentleman. I think that the Government are trying to do thei...

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. There is no evidence of gerrymandering. That is outrag...

That is not a point of order. I really do not want the debate interrupted by points of order that...

I will take another day to give lectures on points of order.

The simple truth is that there...

Fundamentally, this Bill is an attack on democracy that will disenfranchise millions, entrench mo...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point about not taking the Bill in isolation and looking at t...

I could not agree more, and I will elaborate on that as I go through my speech.

In all the ...

May I ask the hon. Gentleman the same question I asked the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwoo...

I do not regard any findings of the OSCE, but what I think is important in this place, looking at...

In his judgment on the election in Tower Hamlets, Richard Mawrey QC said there was an appreciable...

I would say gently to the hon. Gentleman on the Tower Hamlets issue, which I believe went back to...

Would these be the same young people who have to show photo ID to get into a bar, a nightclub or ...

If the right hon. Gentleman wishes to reduce this debate to that level, he is perfectly welcome s...

My hon. Friend is making a fantastic speech. On extending the Electoral Commission’s powers, it h...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are heading down a dangerous road and I urge Government Me...

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for letting me intervene. Charities are supposed to be a...

Order. I say again that hon. Members really should not use the word “you”; otherwise, it becomes ...

A charity has the right to advocate on behalf of its members and the people it represents. A char...

Aneurin Bevan famously said that in the struggle between poverty and property, when poverty rises...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman: we are heading down a very, very dangerous road. The public have...

As ever, I will seek to calm the House, if I can, as I perambulate around a few of the issues tha...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr Wragg), and to speak in the debate...

Thank you for calling me to speak, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is good to be higher up the batting o...

Has my hon. Friend encountered a situation in which a voter has lost their polling card and, when...

I thank my right hon. Friend for that interesting observation. We have all heard this on the door...

That sounds like a very complex matter, and I am sure my hon. Friend deserves an extra minute to ...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that assistance.

The matter was tested at the Court of ...

Is the hon. Gentleman saying it is reasonable for a political party to bus in hundreds of workers...

Order. I am afraid the time of the hon. Member for South Thanet (Craig Mackinlay) has come to an ...

I thank the House for its forbearance during those troubled years, and I hope Members will suppor...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for South Thanet (Craig Mackinlay). The hon. Member fo...

I suppose I have been in this place long enough not to be surprised by anything that happens in t...

Order. To make her maiden speech, I call Sarah Green.

4.51 pm

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is a true privilege to stand here today, among these green Be...

I congratulate the hon. Lady on her maiden speech. I call Maria Miller.

4.55 pm

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I echo your congratulations to the hon. Member for Chesham a...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that having a short election would help in situations such as the...

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Of course, he is a co-sponsor—and, in fact, a co-conspi...

May I first say how pleased I am to see the Minister, my constituency neighbour in Norwich, back ...

The hon. Gentleman says that voter fraud is not an issue, yet in my constituency during a by-elec...

That is a fair point. Let me retort with an alternative statistic for you. There were 34 allegati...

I wonder whether the hon. Member is aware that actually voter ID is very common in other countrie...

Order. Before the hon. Member for Norwich South (Clive Lewis) answers that, can I please remind e...

The hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire will also know that many of the countries he mentioned a...

“He”, not “you”.

I will conclude with my question to Members on the Government Benches: how comfortable are they w...

There will be a five-minute limit from now on. It is nothing personal, Steve.

5.10 pm

Mr Deputy Speaker, it is the second time you have done that to me; the first time was my maiden s...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, and I draw his attention to the words of the judge in...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I am clear that in speaking in support of the Bill I am standing...

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise to colleagues for this brief intervention, bu...

Further to that point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. As vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary C...

I am extremely grateful to Sir Iain Duncan Smith for his point of order and giving me forward not...

Can I first say to the Minister for the Constitution and Devolution that I am glad to see them ba...

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate to express my support for the new legislation to strengt...

This Bill is an affront to our democracy. It will interfere with and undermine the independence o...

Without my even imposing a four-minute limit, which I am about to do, you did it in four minutes,...

I welcome the Bill. The provisions within it are long overdue. Given how thoroughly the ground ha...

Order. We have to leave it there. I am terribly sorry.

5.38 pm

I draw the attention of Members to the fact that I am a member of the Speaker’s Committee on the ...

There have been moments today, listening to Opposition Members, when I have felt like I have been...

Can my hon. Friend think of any other example of Members saying in this House that victims should...

No, I cannot easily recall such an issue, and I hope that that is never our approach in this Hous...

The Tower Hamlets investigation in 2012 found only three cases after 64 allegations, yet on the b...

I am pretty sure that I dealt with the point about numbers in the first part of what I said. In r...

The hon. Member for Bolsover (Mark Fletcher) appeared to accuse some Members on the Opposition Be...

Let me directly address the comments just made by the hon. Member for Glasgow North (Patrick Grad...

I very much praise my hon. Friend for the work he did on protecting the rights of EU citizens. I ...

I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent intervention. That is exactly the ask that I have for G...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Not at the moment.

I understand that the Government are open to further such agreements wit...

indicated assent.

I think the Minister is nodding to suggest that she will write to me on that matter.

But th...

Order. The wind-ups will begin at 6.40 pm. This will be the last speech of four minutes, and we w...

I want to take a few seconds to place on record my congratulations to my hon. Friend the Member f...

The first time I went to a polling booth, I brought some ID with me. I assumed that surely I woul...

Does my hon. Friend agree that Peter Golds, an excellent Tory councillor, has done so much to hig...

Absolutely. Peter Golds is one of the politicians I talked to at the time, and he has done excell...

I refer to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am pleased to be cal...

I can do no better than repeat what my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mark Fletcher) said a...

Much of the opposition to the Bill has been focused on concerns about voter ID, but there are bro...

The Bill fails to understand the total degradation of democracy through unincorporated organisati...

Indeed, I do, but I do not think that the Government want to grasp that thorn. We already know th...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mark Fletcher) with whom I hav...

I am listening very carefully to what my hon. Friend is saying. Do his comments basically throw o...

I will give my right hon. Friend one example, of which there are many. In the Mawrey judgment of ...

As you may know, Mr Deputy Speaker, Aneurin Bevan famously said that in the struggle between prop...

Even before I was elected to be MP for Keighley, it was clear that the framework in which electio...

I have two caveats and two anecdotes. First, all legislation requires to be taken in the round an...

The hon. Member is explaining some very noble values about the democratic process, all of which I...

That is a past debate, and the people of Scotland will decide the future in a referendum in due c...

As many colleagues have said, confidence in our electoral system and the ballot is crucial. Membe...

My constituency regrettably has seen proven electoral fraud. Local politicians have gone to priso...

Last week, my daughter turned 18. It was a day of enormous pride for her and for us. I would like...

It is a pleasure to close this debate on behalf of the Opposition, and I thank my hon. Friends th...

I have sat here patiently and listened to the hon. Lady’s comments. I must confess I am not sure ...

We do not have a national ID card and this image of people bursting out trying to get to the poll...

I thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and all hon. and right hon. Members who have contributed this aft...

We have heard a lot of spurious arguments today about voter ID. Was that not exemplified just now...

My right hon. Friend makes a powerful point. Certainly, in my experience, the higher the turnout ...

I endorse what the Minister has said. We as a party will be walking through the Lobby with the Go...

I am certainly happy to offer that meeting. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Constitution and ...

rose—

I want to address some of the evidence that the hon. Gentleman’s party asked for. One survey cond...

It is on that point.

I will address the point that the hon. Gentleman’s party raised. One survey, conducted by the Ele...

Can I just clarify whether the Minister is drawing a clear and direct parallel between the situat...

The hon. Gentleman should want us to learn from what works in one part of the UK for the whole of...