Labour’s new Representation of the People Bill, introduced to Parliament last week, has drawn attention because it will give around 1.6 million 16- and 17-year-olds the vote. But hidden within the bill is an innocuous term – ‘automatic registration’ – that will also usher in a far more significant and controversial change.

Governments should be chosen by the people they will govern, not by those with minimal ties to our nation

Governments should be chosen by the people they will govern, not by those with minimal ties to our nation

Under the government’s plans, instead of having to register to vote, all eligible voters will be automatically added to the electoral roll, which will mean significant changes to constituency boundaries. It will also add my by calculation around 860,000 foreign nationals to the electoral roll  – a change which might make a significant difference in 2029, when the election is certain to be dominated by debates over migration.

This is happening because the UK has a uniquely lax set of rules for voters. According to the Electoral Commission, any citizen of any Commonwealth country has the right to vote in........

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