Standards Committee calls
for its recommendations - restoring integrity to the electoral system
COMMITTEE ON
STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE News Release (212) issued by The Government
News Network on 18 March 2008
Standards
Committee calls for its recommendations on restoring integrity to
the electoral system to be implemented following the judgement of
the electoral petition relating to the local elections held in
Slough on 3 May 2007
Following the judgement by Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey
QC handed down on 18 March in the matters of Local Government
elections for the Slough Central Ward of the Slough Borough
Council held on 3 May 2007, Sir Christopher Kelly, Chairman of the
Committee on Standards in Public Life commented
"This latest example of electoral fraud in Slough at last
year's local government elections highlights the need for
fundamental changes to our electoral system as recommended by my
Committee in its Eleventh Report on the Electoral Commission.
Electoral fraud is not a trivial matter. It is an affront to the
democratic principle of one-person one vote. Left unchecked it
will eventually undermine trust and confidence in the democratic
process and by implication the electorate's consent to the
outcome of elections.
This case has shown that the safeguards introduced by the
Government to combat electoral fraud particularly in relation to
postal voting are easily bypassed because of the fundamental
weaknesses in the current system of electoral registration. The
current system of household registration has no robust safeguards
to stop bogus names being registered and then to be used as
fraudulent postal votes.
In the Eleventh Report my Committee called for the Government and
the other main political parties to reach agreement so as to
introduce a system of individual registration similar to that
already in place in Northern Ireland immediately following the
next General Election.
The benefits of individual registration include:
* Individuals taking personal responsibility for registering just
as they have to apply personally for other public and private services;
* The register reflecting more accurately those individuals who
are entitled to be registered;
* Greater accuracy that will help to restore integrity to the
registration process; and
* If combined with other measures such as an objective personal
identifier will help minimise electoral fraud.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life wants to see an
electoral system that is free, fair and secure and will continue
to press the Government for an indication of an early commitment
to put in place the changes that are required to secure this
objective. The recommendations the Committee has made on the
integrity of the electoral system in its Eleventh Report will, I
believe, if implemented, restore integrity and confidence in the
democratic health of our country."
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. The Committee published its eleventh report 'Review of
the Electoral Commission' on the 18th January 2007. The
Report set out a package of inter-related recommendations
radically to refocus and reform the Commission to ensure that in
future there is effective regulation of the electoral process and
of political party funding. The Committee also recommended
measures to ensure elections are free fair and secure, including
the introduction of individual voter registration (a list of
recommendations is attached at Annex A).
2. The Committee on Standards in Public Life is an Advisory
Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored by the Cabinet
Office. The Chair and Members are appointed by the Prime Minister.
The Committee was established in October 1994 with the following
terms of reference:
"To examine current concerns about standards of conduct of
all holders of public office, including arrangements relating to
financial and commercial activities, and make recommendations as
to any changes in present arrangements which might be required to
ensure the highest standards of propriety in public life".
3. Additional terms of reference were announced on 12 November 1997:
"To review issues in relation to the funding of political
parties, and to make recommendations as to any changes in present arrangements."
Committee on Standards in Public Life, Eleventh Report, Review of
the Electoral, CM 7006 was published on 18 January 2007
Issued by:
The Committee on Standards in Public Life
35 Great Smith
Street
London
SW1P 3BQ
Internet site: http://www.public-standards.gov.uk
e-mail: public@standards.x.gsi.gov.uk