Petition
Stop the assault on our democratic freedoms
Stop the erosion of our democratic rights
Let’s take a stand against the government’s insidious power grab and its attempts to stifle the voice of civil society
Sign this petition for better democracy.
Our rights to campaign, vote and protest are under threat. The independence of The Electoral Commission is set to be compromised, and the power to hold Ministers to account is diminishing. Let’s prevent this government and future governments from becoming untouchable by ensuring that accountability is embedded in our nation’s structures. Let’s speak out against the government’s anti-dissent agenda and save our democracy
The UK Government is embarking on huge and unprecedented constitutional changes which, taken all together, represent the most brazen and sweeping assault on people's freedoms that our country has ever seen.
Find out about the rights and protections the Government is attacking:
Right to Protest
- Priti Patel's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would make causing “serious annoyance” at a protest punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
- Any protest is banned from Parliament Square Green to all the roads surrounding it and up Whitehall - the government would never hear another protest again.
- Even COVID-safe, one-person protests will be restricted.
Right to Vote and Campaign
- The Elections Bill gives Ministers powers to change the definition of what sort of campaigning is allowed 365 days before an election at whim.
- Campaigning organisations, trade unions, charities and even individuals promoting a point of view could find their campaigning criminalised at election time or made impossible.
- Voters will be turned away from polling stations if they don’t have ID with them, affecting potentially millions of voters.
Equal Votes
- The Government wants to reverse recent progress towards fairer voting by switching back to the Victorian ‘First Past the Post’ for all elections in England, including the Metro-Mayor elections. The UK and Belarus are the only two European countries that still use FPTP.
- Constituency boundaries will be redrawn to favour the Government’s election chances – and MPs don’t get a say.
Scrutiny and Accountability
- Judicial Review is to be “reformed” to make it harder for unlawful decisions to be examined and challenged, after the Supreme Court ruled Johnson’s forced closure of Parliament illegal.
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The Elections Bill gives Ministers powers to direct the Electoral Commission's day to day priorities, removing it's independence and putting representatives of a political party - whichever party is in government - in a position to influence the Commission's work.
This is not the reform our country needs. What we need is more fairness in elections, democratic engagement for all people, and an electoral system that makes sure everyone’s vote counts.
Don’t let this assault on our freedom and civil liberties go unchallenged. Sign your name and take a stand.
Latest Updates
26 October 2021 - UPDATE: Elections Bill Committee Stage comes to an end
The committee stage of Elections Bill has drawn to a close. Unfortunately, the amendments we were hoping to see be added to the bill did not make it through - but there is hope for devolved nations as the minister has agreed to go away and consider the impact making the Electoral Commission accountable to Westminster will have on the devolved powers afforded to Holyrood and the Senedd. Amendments which will continue to be pushed through at report stage have been released, and the hope is that further changes can be made at a later date - even if this is only when the bill reaches the Lords.
7 September 2021 - UPDATE: Elections Bill passes its second reading
The Elections Bill passed its second reading in the Commons. There was impassioned debate on several issues, from Voter ID to the Electoral Commission. Particularly strong opposition on the subject of the Electoral Commission was seen from the SNP. Conservative MPs David Davis and William Wragg expressed concerns with the bill - with Wragg in particularly discussing the in-built bias of the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission (this committee monitors the Commission but currently has a Conservative majority). Despite these concerns, the bill has proceeded to committee stage, where a evidence sessions and a line by line reading of the bill offer hope for tangible change
5 July 2021 - UPDATE: Government passes extreme Policing Bill and publishes dangerous Elections Bill
Government MPs voted through Priti Patel's extreme Policing Bill unamended. This is a disappointing but not unexpected development and we will continue our work to get this Bill rejected as it is considered by the Lords.
On the same day, they published their dangerous and far-reaching elections Bill which introduces voter ID requirements but goes so much further than that. This new law would create a hostile environment for anyone wanting to campaign at elections and recommend voters choose a particular party or candidates, particularly organisations like Best for Britain, trade unions and charities. This Bill is aimed at reducing the number and diversity of voices allowed to participate in national debate.
19 March 2021 - UPDATE: Campaign success as Policing Bill is delayed while Government rethinks its position
After mass action from our supporters, the Government kicked their extremist Policing Bill into the long-grass. It's just a reprieve though and we will keep on building opposition to this and the other Bills we know they are preparing to limit our freedoms.
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