Eight million voters risk having no voice at next election, MPs warn

An inquiry by Parliament’s cross-party Levelling Up Committee found that a “failing” electoral registration system risks disenfranchising eight million voters and presents a threat to the rights of the British electorate.

It comes following separate research from Unlock Democracy which found that 650,000 voters are missing from the electoral register in Yorkshire and the Humber.

All voters at the next general election will need to show some form of photo ID at their polling station in order to cast their ballot.

Clive Betts, the committee chairman and Sheffield MP, said the new requirements had been “tacked onto a Victorian era system” that was “creaking” and letting down voters.

He said it had led to a “major and fundamental defect in our democratic system”.

His committee called for the Government to introduce automated opt-in voter registration to make sure that people are able to have their say.

The Electoral Commission gave evidence to MPs suggesting that if an election was held today around 14 per cent of the electorate would not be able to vote.

In addition, the committee’s report found that certain groups such as young people, renters, ethnic minorities, and those in lower income groups were significantly less likely to be registered to vote.

“Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy and yet we are burdened by a system which is both ineffective and inefficient, where millions of people are disenfranchised because they are incorrectly registered or not on the electoral register,” said Mr Betts.

“In the year of a general election, this is a damning indictment of the UK’s electoral registration arrangements and a threat to the rights of British voters.

“Our voter registration system is creaking. Recent changes such as voter ID have been tacked onto a Victorian-era system which is failing voters, political parties, and election officials.”

Rishi Sunak was yesterday accused of being “scared” to call an election, telling MPs during Prime Minister’s Questions that his “working assumption” remains that it will take place in the second half of this year.

Sir Keir Starmer said that Mr Sunak is “so diminished” that his “entire focus is on stopping his MPs holding the sword of Damocles above his head, perhaps even literally” in the case of Commons Leader and rumoured Tory leadership replacement Penny Mordaunt, who carried the Sword of State during the King’s coronation ceremony.

Yesterday Mr Sunak was set to urge his backbenches to “pull together” and focus on improving the country’s economic outlook at an appearance at the 1922 Committee meeting of Tory MPs.

Mr Sunak’s press secretary said he would be pushing for unity during his meeting with them.

“He will be talking about the local elections and I’m sure they will be talking about that we have got to pull together to make sure Labour don’t do what they have done to Britain, what they have done to Birmingham,” said the political spokeswoman.

Ms Mordaunt is reportedly being considered as a unity candidate who could be acceptable to both the Tory right and moderates if there is a last-ditch change in leaders before the election.

She told reporters on Tuesday she was “getting on with my job”.

Downing Street refused to say whether the Prime Minister had held talks with Ms Mordaunt since the reports first emerged over the weekend.

Mr Sunak’s press secretary said she would not “get into private discussions between colleagues” when asked whether the Prime Minister had spoken to Ms Mordaunt or those calling for a change of leader.