Cat Smith MP, Labour’s Shadow
Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, commenting on the Electoral
Commission report on the 2017 UK Parliamentary General Election, said:
“We welcome the Electoral
Commission’s report which shows that 46.8 million people were registered to
vote at the 2017 UK General Election, making it the largest electorate for a
UK-wide poll.
“To build
a healthy democracy we need active participation of all citizens, which is why
the Labour Party delivered a ground-breaking digital campaign which sought to
maximise the number of young people to register to vote during the election
period. In contrast, the Conservative party assumed that young people were
apathetic to party politics. They made no effort to encourage voter registration,
or to put forward policies that would offer real opportunities to young people.
“We agree
with a number of the key recommendations put forward by the Electoral
Commission. Double voting is a serious crime and it is vital that the police
have the resources they need to bring about prosecution. However, we urge
caution when looking at measures to tackle this issue – a blanket ban on being
registered at two addresses would exclude those who for reasons of work or
study need to be registered in two places. This cannot be an attempt to make it
harder for young people and students to register to vote.
“During
the General Election, the Labour Party put forward an inclusive, optimistic and
transformative manifesto, which we will continue to strengthen and communicate
to voters, in order to build a Britain that truly works for the many not the
few.”
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