Do the government's electoral reforms go far enough?
At this event hosted by the UCL Constitution Unit, an expert panel discusses the UK government's elections policy paper.
Do the government's electoral reforms go far enough?
24 Oct 2025, 13:00 – 14:00
A recording of this event is also available in podcast form, including on Simplecast, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The UK government published an elections policy paper in the summer, including proposals for votes at 16, automated electoral registration, and strengthened political finance rules. With an Elections Bill expected in November, this panel will assess the government’s proposals and consider whether they will be sufficient to ensure electoral integrity. For example, are tighter rules needed on political donations? Should more be done to protect the independence of the Electoral Commission? Should requirements for truthfulness in political speech be strengthened?
Speakers:
Cat Smith MP – Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre
Rose Whiffen – Senior Research Officer, Transparency International UK
Tom Hawthorn – Head of Policy, Electoral Commission
Professor David Howarth – Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Cambridge, former UK Electoral Commissioner (2010–18), and former Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge (2005–10)
Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit
Image attribution: 'General Election campaigning, Stafford, United Kingdom - 25 May 2024' by Keir Starmer (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).