Rushanara Ali, a former democracy minister who helped draft the government’s elections bill, urges incoming prime minister Andy Burnham to overhaul the legislation. Speaking to the press, Ali argues that the bill is “timid” and “incremental” and that it does not go far enough in key areas of election-related reform.
Ali says the draft still leaves major gaps, particularly around proposals to change voting processes, rules governing donations made in cryptocurrency, and regulation of social media in the context of elections. She calls for bolder action than the government has set out so far.
The appeal comes after Ali’s resignation as democracy minister in August. While her comments focus on what she says is missing from the current bill, her overall position is that the incoming leadership should use the opportunity to strengthen provisions and address concerns that remain unresolved in the draft legislation.
