The government responded to two Electoral Commission reports, on modernizing electoral law and on the future of postal voting. It reaffirmed its goal of 'multi-channelled' elections, as the way to offer voters choice about how to cast their votes.
Source: The Government s Response to The Electoral Commission s report: Voting for Change An electoral law modernisation programme, Cm 6426, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522) | The Government s Response to The Electoral Commission s Report: Delivering Democracy? The future of postal voting, Cm 6436, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 9 December 2004, columns 101-102WS, TSO
Links: Response Cm 6246 (pdf) | Response Cm 6436 (pdf) | Hansard | DCA press release | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
An independent commission was established to examine democracy and political participation, and suggest ways in which democracy could be revitalized. (The inquiry was jointly funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Limited.)
Source: Press release 5 November 2004, POWER Inquiry (0845 345 5307)
Links: POWER Inquiry press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
The elections watchdog said that, despite improved levels of participation, all-postal voting pilots had been marred by problems. It cited the timescale imposed; complexity of the voting method; logistical issues; and reports of abuse, leading to a lessening of public confidence. It concluded that all-postal voting should no longer be pursued for use at elections: instead a new model should be devised that allowed voters to go to polling stations if they wished, while retaining the best features of all-postal voting.
Source: Delivering Democracy? The future of postal voting, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500)
Links: Report (pdf) | Electoral Commission press release | DCA/ODPM press release | Charter88 press release | NPN press release | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Aug
A report presented the findings of multivariate statistical analysis of survey data, aimed at providing a deeper understanding of what determined people's political engagement and their propensity to vote. Likelihood of voting was found to be distinct from knowledge (real or perceived), and from satisfaction with the performance of the political system and politicians. Nor did engagement and activism in the non-political sphere either follow from these factors or lead to voting.
Source: MORI, Rules of Engagement?: Participation, involvement and voting in Britain, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Aug
The government (and the Electoral Commission) responded to a report by a committee of MPs on postal voting trials.
Source: Government Response to and the Electoral Commission's Observations on the Committee's Seventh Report, Session 2003-04, Postal Voting, First Special Report (Session 2003-04), HC 973, House of Commons Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Aug
Research showed that cynicism about politics had only a modest impact on whether people voted. Falls in turnout were higher among those previously disengaged from politics. Those who did vote were increasingly likely to engage in the political process in ways other than just voting.
Source: John Curtice et al., Legitimacy, Participation and Constitutional Change, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
Turnout in four all-postal pilot regions for the European Parliamentary election more than doubled from that in 1999, going up from about 20 per cent to 42 per cent.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 21 June 2004, columns 72-74WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2004-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs said that all-postal voting had had a positive effect, increasing turnout by an average of 15 per cent in all but three of the pilot areas. But it said that the government should not rely on changes in the electoral system to increase voter turnout.
Source: Postal Voting, Seventh Report (Session 2003-04), HC 400, House of Commons Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-May
A study of people who were active in voluntary associations found that their largely positive experiences of voluntary associational life, including relations of trust and reciprocity towards others, did not fuel a wider trust and confidence in the world of politics. These findings suggested that explanations for the seeming decline of confidence in the political system should not be sought in changes in civic society but in the political sphere itself.
Source: Fiona Devine, A Qualitative Study of Democracy and Participation in Britain, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report said that that women were significantly less active than men in politics. In particular, they were less likely to participate in formal politics such as party membership, party donations and contacting politicians. But women were more likely to vote for, and become involved in an electoral campaign on behalf of, a female rather than a male candidate.
Source: Gender and Political Participation, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Electoral Commission press release | EOC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Apr
A survey found that by the age of 17-18, young people appeared to be aware of social responsibilities and ready to take an active part in the democratic process. However, there was also some evidence that those who had moved away from full-time education faced challenges that might dampen their enthusiasm for voting and taking part in their communities.
Source: On the Right Track: What matters to young people in the UK?, Save the Children (020 7703 5400)
Links: Report (pdf) | SCF press release
Date: 2004-Apr
The Electoral Commission recommended that the minimum age for all levels of voting at public elections should not be lowered below 18 years, but that the minimum candidacy age should be reduced from 21 to 18.
Source: Age of Electoral Majority, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Electoral Commission press release
Date: 2004-Apr
Researchers who examined civic organisations in Glasgow and Bristol found deep distrust of top-down approaches to consultative democracy: but critical engagement in the political process increased social bonding.
Source: Mario Diani and Isobel Lindsay, Networks of Civic Organisations in Britain, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A survey found that only 50 per cent of people said they were interested in politics; fewer than half of the public were well informed about politics, both in terms of their perceived and assessed knowledge; both the public and MPs believed that the media, business and local councils had more impact on people's everyday lives than the Westminster Parliament or the European Parliament; and just 27 per cent of people had trust in politicians generally.
Source: An Audit of Political Engagement, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500) and Hansard Society
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Electoral Commission press release | ERS press release
Date: 2004-Mar
Between December 2002 and December 2003 the number of people registered to vote in parliamentary elections decreased by 245,300 (0.6 per cent) to 44,118,053.
Source: UK Electoral Statistics - Local Government and Parliamentary Electors, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (download page) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
Researchers examined ethnic minority participation in democracy. They found that the process of political engagement was complex: high rates of participation could be based around mobilising those of religious faith, and low rates of participation by the breakdown of traditional forms of residency.
Source: John Solomos, Michael Keith, and Kalbir Shukra, Democratic Governance and Ethnic Minority Political Participation in Contemporary Britain, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
Researchers examined turnout in recent local elections. Those wards with high turnout had residents highly engaged in their locality, who saw clear benefits to voting. Those areas with low turnout had many residents who believed that it did not matter who controlled the council.
Source: Kevin Jefferys, Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, Local Electoral Participation: The importance of context, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
A report said the existing voting system had resulted in the British National Party being over-represented on Burnley Borough Council (in the north west of England), and that it could allow the BNP to win control of the council despite only having minority support. The report argued for a different electoral system to prevent parties from gaining power well beyond what could be justified by their share of the votes.
Source: Greg Deacon, Ahmed Keita and Ken Ritchie, Burnley and the BNP and the Case for Electoral Reform, Electoral Reform Society (020 7928 1622)
Links: Report (pdf) | ERS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jan