The basis of democracy is the vote which requires registration. This should be easy to do while also fighting fraud but it could be undermined by the biggest amendment to electoral registration since we introduced universal suffrage.
The independent Electoral Commission worries that ten million people could drop off the registers. They are likely to be the poorest and most vulnerable.
The current system is that one person in a household registers all others but this is to be changed to individuals doing it. This is fine in principle but has to be done in the right way and with cross-party support.
The last government agreed to phase in this change over five years but the current government is rushing its fences to do it.
That's not all. The government will also scrap the requirement for the Electoral Commission to vouchsafe the accuracy and completeness of electoral registers.
Another proposal is to allow opting out from registering, which downgrades its importance.
People must provide "personal identifiers" such as full name, address, Date of Birth, and National Insurance Number, returning the form by insecure means. Many people won't due to fear of identity fraud.
They will not be included in the count of registered voters used in the next boundary review in 2015. This perhaps explains the unseemly rush.
This is the second phase of an attack on the democratic rights in as many months. Recent Boundary Commission proposals, which are hemmed in legislation designed to advantage one political party, will see the destruction of the Blaydon constituency as we know it
I have told the Electoral Commission about my grave concerns. At a time of widespread political disengagement the last thing we need is to make it more difficult for people to participate in the democratic process. I fear that poorer, younger, disabled persons, those with learning difficulties and harder to reach groups will simply not register to vote.
The last thing we need is rushing into this. We should keep the present arrangements until after the next General Election and gradually introduce a new system in a phased manner and only if it is guaranteed to boost the numbers registering. Democrats of all parties should ensure a level playing field rather than partisan fixes.
Newcastle Chronicle and Journal
| Promoted by Paul Foy on behalf of Dave Anderson, both of St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Shibdon Road, Blaydon, NE21 5PT |