Debates over suffrage In July 2025, the Labour Governm
announced plans to lower the vot
age to 16 by the next general ele
as part of its Elections Bill policy
paper. Nigel Farage, has been
particularly vocal in his criticism,
accusing Labour of attempting to
future elections” by strategically
targeting a demographic perceive
be more supportive of progressive
policies.
Labour to introduce automatic vo
registration and to expand accept
voter ID – attempt to increase
electoral turnout. Automatic
registration aims to reduce
inequalities in participation,
particularly among groups with lo
registration rates such as ethnic
minorities. Another important pro
in the Elections Bill is the expansi
acceptable forms of Voter ID to in
bank cards. Under current rules
introduced by the Conservatives i
2022, voters need to show
photographic ID in order to vote.
suppressed turnout in the 2024
General Election - 50,000 were tu
away and 10% of
Direct and representative democracy 8th December 2025 MPS held a de
on the introduction of digital ID ca
The debate was held by the
backbench business committee
following an E petition titled Do N
Introduce Digital ID Cards’, which
received more than 3 million
signatures. MPs across party lines
criticised the government’s plans
Conservative MP for South
Northamptonshire, Sarah Bool,
highlighted her constituents' conc
about the cost to taxpayers, argu
the scale of public opposition- ALS
USE AS EXAMPLE OF MPS
REPRESENTING THEIR CONSITUEN
E-petition debate on russias influe
9th February 2026 parliament deb
an E- signatures petition titled “H
public inquiry into Russian influen
, Uk politics and democracy 0 due
the conviction of Nathan Gill- 14,0
signatures. The government
responded by announcing signific
electoral reforms to strengthen
safeguards against foreign
interference. It confirmed the Elec
Bill will legislate against the use o
cryptocurrency by foreign actors f
covert political funding.
“do not introduce digital id”-2,900
signatures- played a key role in th
government partially scrapping th
plan to introduce it – the requirem
for individuals to sign up for it to
their right to work has been scrap
Participation crisis 14th of January 2026, Parliament
Democratic deficit debated an e-petition titled “We w
an immediate general election to
held. We think the majority need
want change.”. The petition recei
over 1 million signatures, and was
debated less than 2 years into the
Labour government. However, the
system has been criticised for rar
leading to meaningful policy chan
and conflicting with the principle
representative democracy, which
relies on MPs making informed
decisions on complex issues. This
supports the idea of a participatio
crisis in the UK, as it shows a grow
mistrust in UK politics. Whilst
alternative means of participation
increasing, they can be seen as
“slacktivism”, low-effort participa
with little real impact.
Av 2011- referendum- 42%
Brexit turnout was 72.2%
Turnout at the 2024 general elect
was 59.7%, which was the lowest
general election since 2001. Turno
was 7.6 percentage points lower t
in 2019.
Gloucester police and crime
commissioner 2024- Chris Nelson
elected on a 31% turnout
2021 senedd elections turnout wa
46.6%
announced plans to lower the vot
age to 16 by the next general ele
as part of its Elections Bill policy
paper. Nigel Farage, has been
particularly vocal in his criticism,
accusing Labour of attempting to
future elections” by strategically
targeting a demographic perceive
be more supportive of progressive
policies.
Labour to introduce automatic vo
registration and to expand accept
voter ID – attempt to increase
electoral turnout. Automatic
registration aims to reduce
inequalities in participation,
particularly among groups with lo
registration rates such as ethnic
minorities. Another important pro
in the Elections Bill is the expansi
acceptable forms of Voter ID to in
bank cards. Under current rules
introduced by the Conservatives i
2022, voters need to show
photographic ID in order to vote.
suppressed turnout in the 2024
General Election - 50,000 were tu
away and 10% of
Direct and representative democracy 8th December 2025 MPS held a de
on the introduction of digital ID ca
The debate was held by the
backbench business committee
following an E petition titled Do N
Introduce Digital ID Cards’, which
received more than 3 million
signatures. MPs across party lines
criticised the government’s plans
Conservative MP for South
Northamptonshire, Sarah Bool,
highlighted her constituents' conc
about the cost to taxpayers, argu
the scale of public opposition- ALS
USE AS EXAMPLE OF MPS
REPRESENTING THEIR CONSITUEN
E-petition debate on russias influe
9th February 2026 parliament deb
an E- signatures petition titled “H
public inquiry into Russian influen
, Uk politics and democracy 0 due
the conviction of Nathan Gill- 14,0
signatures. The government
responded by announcing signific
electoral reforms to strengthen
safeguards against foreign
interference. It confirmed the Elec
Bill will legislate against the use o
cryptocurrency by foreign actors f
covert political funding.
“do not introduce digital id”-2,900
signatures- played a key role in th
government partially scrapping th
plan to introduce it – the requirem
for individuals to sign up for it to
their right to work has been scrap
Participation crisis 14th of January 2026, Parliament
Democratic deficit debated an e-petition titled “We w
an immediate general election to
held. We think the majority need
want change.”. The petition recei
over 1 million signatures, and was
debated less than 2 years into the
Labour government. However, the
system has been criticised for rar
leading to meaningful policy chan
and conflicting with the principle
representative democracy, which
relies on MPs making informed
decisions on complex issues. This
supports the idea of a participatio
crisis in the UK, as it shows a grow
mistrust in UK politics. Whilst
alternative means of participation
increasing, they can be seen as
“slacktivism”, low-effort participa
with little real impact.
Av 2011- referendum- 42%
Brexit turnout was 72.2%
Turnout at the 2024 general elect
was 59.7%, which was the lowest
general election since 2001. Turno
was 7.6 percentage points lower t
in 2019.
Gloucester police and crime
commissioner 2024- Chris Nelson
elected on a 31% turnout
2021 senedd elections turnout wa
46.6%
