If Tory MPs want to protect freedom, why are they supporting the Elections Bill? – Open Democracy

The problem with both reforms is that the evidence just doesnt stack up enough to justify the restrictions on liberty. The report by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) says the governments research was simply not good enough with regards to voter ID.

This is true. At the 2019 general election, there were just 33 allegations of impersonation out of 58 million votes cast. We should be encouraging voting and political participation, not building barriers for the 2% of citizens who have no form of ID (or the 4% whose only form of ID is not recognised under the proposals).

Meanwhile, the changes to the Electoral Commission the body responsible for regulating elections and political parties will make it accountable to the very parties it is meant to be policing. The worst-case scenario would see the commission being turned into an arm of the state.

The committee said: The government has not provided sufficient evidence to justify why the proposed measures are necessary and proportionate. As I have said before, the plans are akin to giving a toddler a gun. It might not go off instantly, it might even not go off at all, but it certainly isnt the best idea.

As a lecturer in corruption analysis, a general rule of thumb I teach my students is to never assume corruption when incompetence is more plausible. But recent scandals hint at more malign intentions at the heart of these reforms.

The Owen Paterson affair, the Downing Street refurb scandal, and the controversy over Christmas parties have seen Johnsons government mired in allegations of sleaze and wrongdoing. Consistent at the heart of this is a lack of interest in ethical standards and appropriate behaviour that are a feature of how Johnson likes to run government.

Is it any wonder, then, that he may show an interest in dismantling oversight mechanisms? But his own party seems happy to let these things slide.

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If Tory MPs want to protect freedom, why are they supporting the Elections Bill? - Open Democracy