division_name: Elections Bill
motion: <p class="indent" pid="a810.1/7" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The Strategy and Policy Statement (clause 15) will provide an opportunity for the Government, with the approval of the UK Parliament, to outline a clear articulation of principles and priorities for the Commission to have regard to when going about their work&#8212;particularly in areas where&#8230;the Commission are exercising the significant amount of discretion they are afforded in terms of activity, priorities, and approach.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a812.0/7" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;I consider that if persons have confidence in the electoral system by the elimination or reduction in voter fraud then they might be encouraged to vote by virtue of their increased confidence in the electoral process.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a816.0/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;This would have been unthinkable in my time&#8230; I do not think anyone would have ever imagined this was a good idea. It is an open goal for the opponents of western democracy. If you are President Xi, you might think this is the kind of thing you want&#8212;all the institutions of the state lined up behind the governing party&#8212;but not in this country. It is completely unthinkable.&#8221;&#8211;&#8211;[Official Report, Elections Public Bill Committee, <phrase class="date" code="2022-09-15">15 September</phrase> 2021; c. 39, Q51.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a817.6/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;It is our firm and shared view that the introduction of a Strategy and Policy Statement&#8212;enabling the Government to guide the work of the Commission&#8212;is inconsistent with the role that an independent electoral commission plays in a healthy democracy. This independence is fundamental to maintaining confidence and legitimacy in our electoral system.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a817.6/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The Commission&#8217;s accountability is direct to the UK&#8217;s parliaments and should remain so, rather than being subject to government influence.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a817.6/11" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;to provide that the Electoral Commission is able to depart from the guidance set out in the Statement if it has a statutory duty to do so or if it reasonably believes it is justified in specific circumstances&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a817.6/17" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;is more about voter suppression and enabling foreign funding than enhancing electoral democracy and integrity.&#8221;</p>