Delayed electoral law simplification
Government delays in simplifying and consolidating complex electoral law, risking serious consequences and inefficiencies.
400 items
3 sources
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#13 - Government's delay in simplifying electoral law risks serious consequences
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...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law, simplification
Committee recommendation
99match
#14 - Start simplification and consolidation of electoral law, committing to introducing legislation upon completion
The Government should start the process of simplification and consolidation of electoral law alongside the work being carried out to produce a Bill to implement its manifesto commitments and the outcome of the strategic review. In doing this it should commit to introducing the consolidation legislation when this process is complete. (Recommendation, Paragraph 46)
Matched on
terms: electoral, law, simplification
Committee recommendation
99match
#11 - Require Government to clarify acceptance of electoral law simplification and consolidation
The Government should make clear whether it accepts in principle that UK elections law needs simplification and consolidation, and if it does not should set out its evidence for this position in full in its response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 44)
Matched on
terms: electoral, law, simplification
Committee recommendation
99match
#10 - Consensus on electoral law simplification not fully embraced by government
There is a clear consensus in our evidence around the necessity and benefits of simplification and consolidation of electoral law. This is not a new position and has been reiterated by the practitioners and experts of electoral law for some time, and this appeared to have been accepted by this and the previous Government. We are concerned however...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law, simplification
Committee recommendation
94match
#1 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
It has been twenty years since the Electoral Commission was established and we believe it still plays a fundamental role in overseeing free and fair elections and referendums and regulating political finance, and should continue to do so. However, its ability to effectively fulfil its statutory functions is directly impacted by the unnecessary complexity of the law governing...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law, simplification
Committee recommendation
86match
#10 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Committee recognises the complexity of the dual regimes for candidates under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and parties and campaigners under the Political Parties, Elections, and Referendums Act 2000. Consolidating the law into one regulatory framework should be within the scope of the Government’s work on the long-term strategy to rationalise electoral law recommended by...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
82match
#123 - Prioritise time and resources to consolidate electoral law with a clear implementation timeline
We reiterate the strong recommendation of numerous committees in recent years, including the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the House of Lords Constitution Committee, that the Government bring forward a timeline to consolidate electoral law. The Government must now prioritise the time and resources needed to create critical improvements to electoral legislation. 137...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
80match
#2 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Government should prioritise implementing the Law Commission’s recommendations to rationalise electoral law and immediately start work towards setting out a long-term strategy, with cross-party support, ahead of the next General Election.
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
78match
#9 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Committee believes, regardless of the complexity of the legislation, it is vital that the Electoral Commission has sufficient internal expertise to clarify ambiguities in the law or guidance in a timely manner, particularly during regulated periods. The Electoral Commission should report back to the Committee on the viability of shortening its response time to within 48 hours...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
73match
#3 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Committee notes the high levels of satisfaction in the Electoral Commission’s role in guiding the practical administration of elections and delivering referendums. Nevertheless, we remain concerned by the challenges that lie ahead for the Electoral Commission in supporting electoral administrators, political parties, campaigners, and voters to understand and navigate the increasing complexity of electoral law and levels...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
70match
#24 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
As recommended in our Fifth Report of Session 2021–22 on the Elections Bill, acknowledging the need for legislation to keep pace with rapid technological changes, the Government should commit to monitoring and conducting regular reviews of the digital imprints scheme, to ensure effectiveness in the monitoring and enforcement of the legislation and to prevent any unintended consequences or...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
70match
#29 - Long-Term Housing Strategy publication remains delayed, leaving the housing sector without a cohesive plan.
The housing sector is eagerly awaiting the Government’s Long-Term Housing Strategy, which it first announced in July 2024. Originally, this was to be published alongside the Spending Review in spring 2025. The continuing lack of a cohesive plan to deliver 1.5 million new homes has left the sector in the dark. We are also deeply disappointed that the...
Matched on
terms: delayed
Committee recommendation
68match
#12 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Government has committed to respecting devolved competence where they are touched upon in this Bill. If this were to change, we expect the Committee and the House to be notified of the reasons for such a change in advance of a final vote on the Bill. One of the effects of the Bill would be to create...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
66match
#25 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
We agree with the Electoral Commission that each of the four governments of the UK should amend the rules for reporting spending to provide greater transparency on the money being spent on digital campaigns in their jurisdictions. There should be a separate category for digital campaigning to be included in spending returns. We recommend that this is implemented...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
66match
#21 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
Digital technology is allowing more parties, campaigners, and voters than ever to participate in political debate. While we view this as a positive step for democracy, we must recognise that it has created a more complex regulatory environment for the Electoral Commission. The framework for regulating political campaign spending during elections and referendums has not kept pace with...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
66match
#7 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission invests significant resources into providing guidance to candidates, parties, and non-party campaigners to support their understanding of complex legislation, and this is largely welcomed by those it regulates. However, as a matter of priority, further action is required to address issues such as ambiguous advice, slow responses to requests for information during elections and referendum...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
66match
#15 - Home Office significantly delayed recouping excess profits from asylum accommodation providers.
It is extremely disappointing that the Home Office only appears to have started the process for recouping excess profits from accommodation providers in 2024. Accommodation providers told us they had tens of millions waiting to be returned to the Home Office. This money should be supporting the delivery of public services, not sitting in the bank accounts of...
Matched on
terms: delayed
Committee recommendation
65match
#14 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Government should commit to reviewing the impact of the lower tier of registration for third party campaigners as part of its statutory review of the Elections Act 2022, due in four to five years› time, to be published and laid before Parliament. Any future reform to the regulatory powers of the Electoral Commission by the Government should...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
64match
#4 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Committee urges the Government to set out a timetable for undertaking a wholesale review and consolidation of electoral law. (Paragraph 24) Public and parliamentary consultation and scrutiny
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
64match
#1 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Committee notes that electoral law in the UK is voluminous and fragmented across a raft of primary legislation and accompanying secondary legislation. We believe that there is a risk that this Bill will add further complexity.
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
62match
#23 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The introduction of digital imprints on paid-for and certain unpaid digital material is welcome, but, in their current form, the requirements have notable limitations. This includes a potentially wide scope of activity that will not require an imprint, as well as challenges envisaged by our witnesses in enforcing the regime and providing sufficient transparency on the funding of...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
62match
#18 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
We agree with the Committee on Standards in Public Life that investigations under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 should be opened within 12 months of the date of the potential offence being committed or, from the date the Electoral Commission was aware of the potential offence, with ability to be extended by application to a...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
61match
#22 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The responsibilities of multiple regulators in the digital space interlock with the Electoral Commission’s role to regulate money spent on political campaigning. The Government’s draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission encourages cooperation between regulators to avoid duplication but does not provide any detail on how this can be achieved. We recommend the Government puts forward...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
61match
#25 - Create a single, standardised system for electoral counts, register, and administration.
At a UK general election, all candidates should be subject to the same requirements and the same system should be used throughout the electoral process. While there are historic reasons why different systems have developed and been maintained, the case for streamlining, standardising, and making the electoral system consistent is now compelling. We recommend that the Government move...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
60match
#23 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
We welcome the Government’s move to update electoral law to widen the requirement for anyone and everybody who may have a disability or a need for support in casting their vote. We also take on board the concerns expressed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Sense about the potential for the legal protection for blind...
Matched on
terms: electoral, law
Committee recommendation
57match
#20 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
We agree with the House of Lords Democracy and Digital Technologies Committee, and the Committee on Standards in Public Life, that the maximum fine the Electoral Commission can impose for breaches of Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 should be increased to £500,000 or 4% of total campaign spend, whichever is higher. Equally, we believe that regulated...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
57match
#6 - Second Report - The Work of the Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission must ensure it has the institutional knowledge and capacity to support those it regulates equally in both election and referendum contexts, noting their distinct and unique characteristics. There should be comprehensive training for Electoral Commission staff to ensure its guidance and regulatory approach is tailored to each specific poll. We expect the Electoral Commission to...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
57match
#25 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Government’s reasons for making these changes to the laws on postal voting appear valid and justified to the Committee. The Committee recommends that the Government sets out regulations to the effect that local authorities must notify people in advance of the expiry of a postal vote to ensure that they do not accidentally find themselves unable to...
Matched on
terms: law
Committee recommendation
56match
#28 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The proposals in the Bill on voting and candidacy rights of EU citizens would create a complex system that is likely to lead to confusion and difficulties for electoral administrators, electoral campaigners and voters in determining who is eligible to vote and stand for elections at local government elections in England and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
53match
#9 - Protracted Section 106 negotiations causing significant delays to housing delivery.
Local planning authorities across England have expressed concern that protracted Section 106 negotiations are causing delays to housing delivery. Drawn out negotiations do not benefit public outcomes and cause undue delays to development, which may impede the Government’s housebuilding ambitions. Whilst we recognise the Minister for Housing and Planning’s concerns that introducing a dispute resolution scheme may add...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
52match
#48 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Government’s response to the CSPL report on electoral finance regulation provides no indication of which of its recommendations (not already included in the Bill) the Government is likely to adopt (via amendment), prioritise for consultation or when or how the Government proposes to give legislative effect to recommendations that will not be included in the Bill. The...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
52match
#17 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Government presented to the Committee a case that there is underreporting of personation at UK elections. While the Government refused to be drawn on how extensive it believes the underreporting has been, it has implied that it is at a significant enough level to justify introducing a compulsory voter ID requirement. What is clear is that there...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
52match
#52 - Voter ID lacks evidence of necessity and creates significant barriers for legitimate voters.
We are concerned that the evidence base for the necessity and effectiveness of voter ID is simply not there. There were extremely low levels of personation prior to the introduction of voter ID, and no evidence that it was being under reported. After the introduction of voter ID, the situation has not changed: there continues to be extremely...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
52match
#4 - Establish clear, objective criteria and metrics for assessing future election effectiveness
There need to be clear criteria and, where appropriate, metrics, for assessing and judging how effectively an election has been run. The Electoral Commission should establish such criteria in consultation with Government and other stakeholders. This should be in place in 64 advance of the next general election, and reports should be made to this Committee regularly on...
Matched on
terms: electoral
LGO / SPSO decision
50match
22-001-385 - Basildon Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council delayed removing former residents of his property from the electoral register and did not handle his complaint properly. The Council has not caused Mr X injustice and has amended the electoral register.
Matched on
terms: delayed, electoral
LGO / SPSO decision
50match
23-020-613 - City of Wolverhampton Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council delayed investigating alleged electoral fraud by councillors. It is reasonable to expect the complainant to have contacted us sooner about events in 2021, to have used the court remedy available to him, and the Police are also better placed to consider his allegation of electoral fraud.
Matched on
terms: delayed, electoral
Committee recommendation
49match
#32 - Bring forward the Long-Term Housing Strategy to deliver 1.5 million new homes without further delay.
The Government must immediately bring forward its Long-Term Housing Strategy without further delay. It must set out an ambitious, comprehensive, and achievable set of policies that will deliver 1.5 million new homes by July
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
48match
#1 - 1st Report - Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill
Three successive UK governments have now secured electoral mandates to address onerous ground rent terms in existing leases. Leaseholders rightly expect the government to deliver on its commitment to “tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges” through legislation. Therefore, we welcome that Part 3 of the draft bill would introduce a universal cap on ground rents to provide...
Matched on
terms: electoral
Committee recommendation
48match
#21 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The Committee appreciates that the Government has included a wide range of forms of identification in its list of acceptable identification in the Bill. The purpose of the Government’s proposals to introduce a voter ID requirement are to ensure that the person who turns up at the polling station is the named person on the electoral register. To...
Matched on
terms: electoral
LGO / SPSO decision
47match
23-012-303 - Devon County Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council delayed completing her son, F’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment in line with statutory timescales. The Council was at fault. It failed to decide whether to issue F with an EHC Plan within the statutory timescale, caused by a delay in obtaining Educational Psychologist advice. This caused a further delay...
Matched on
terms: delayed
LGO / SPSO decision
47match
23-010-350 - Derbyshire County Council
Summary: Mrs Y complains about delays in the process leading up to the Council’s issuing of an Education, Health and Care Plan for her son, D. We find the Council failed to meet the statutory timescales and there was significant delay. The Council also failed to maintain appropriate contact with Mrs Y and delayed when responding to her...
Matched on
terms: delayed
LGO / SPSO decision
47match
24-017-543 - Essex County Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to complete her child Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment within statutory timeframes. The Council was at fault. It delayed issuing a final Education, Health and Care Plan by 52 weeks, caused by a delay in obtaining Educational Psychology (EP) advice. It also failed to keep oversight of Y’s...
Matched on
terms: delayed
Committee recommendation
45match
#31 - Slow plan-making system prevents local plans from collectively meeting the 1.5 million housing target.
The Government can only begin to make significant progress towards its 1.5 million target once the sum of local housing need targets in Local Plans add up to that figure. Whilst the Government’s reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework seek to plan for approximately 370,000 new homes per year, local authorities will take several years to transition...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#15 - Intensify efforts to establish UK-EU SPS zone and publish a roadmap by May 2026.
The UK Government must intensify efforts to fully establish an SPS zone with the EU, as a key step towards reducing trade friction for Welsh agricultural exports. We call on the Government to publish a roadmap for how they plan to establish an SPS zone between the UK and EU by May 2026. (Recommendation, Paragraph 81)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#16 - Fifth Report - The Elections Bill
The process of carrying out elections in the UK, the ease with which members of the electorate can cast their vote, and the trust that is shown in and by the electorate in general is an admirable and crucial tenet of our democratic process. These arrangements should be cherished and protected, and great care must be taken whenever...
Matched on
terms: electoral
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
21-014-760 - Preston City Council
Summary: Ms X said the Council’s actions, after she changed her name, saw her vote rejected at four elections. We found the Council repeatedly failed to act in line with the law, which denied Ms X the opportunity to update her postal vote information. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay her £300 in recognition...
Matched on
terms: law
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
24-003-864 - Brighton & Hove City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about information the Council holds on its Electoral Register about Mr X’s family members. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council or injustice caused to Mr X to warrant an investigation.
Matched on
terms: electoral
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
25-018-541 - City of Doncaster Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council passed incomplete data to a third party to verify his identity for the Electoral Register. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.
Matched on
terms: electoral
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
21-011-321 - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Summary: Ms X complained the Council delayed issuing her daughter’s final Education Health Care Plan following an annual review. Ms X has appealed to Tribunal. We have discontinued our investigation. It is not possible to determine the level of injustice caused by the Council’s alleged fault until the Tribunal has reached a decision
Matched on
terms: delayed
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
23-015-704 - Dorset Council
Summary: The Council was at fault for delays in issuing an Education, Health, and Care Plan, for Mrs X’s son. That fault caused Mrs X an injustice because she was left with avoidable distress and inconvenience in following up as to what the Council were doing, as well has having a delayed right of appeal. It also has...
Matched on
terms: delayed