Politicians urge Labour to restore Electoral Commission independence | Electoral Commission
Keir Starmer is called on to restore the independence of the Electoral Commission; MPs and colleagues are likely to launch a fight to change the election bill in the new year.
MPs and colleagues will warn in a letter to the prime minister that the election watchdog should not be controlled by accountable political parties.
The government will publish an election bill early next year that will allow 16-year-olds to vote and eliminate loopholes in how political donations are made.
But he is resisting restoring the Electoral Commission’s independence after Boris Johnson placed it under the control of ministers who can now set its priorities and direction on an annual basis.
When the Conservatives introduced the new power, the House of Lords passed a cross-party amendment to reverse the change, led by Lord Judge of the different benches and co-sponsored by former Labor home secretary David Blunkett; but this amendment was withdrawn by the House of Commons.
Phil Brickell, the Labor MP for Bolton West and chairman of the all-party anti-corruption group, said his party was elected to restore public confidence and that “pursuing Conservative Party measures to neutralize the election watchdog would undermine that mission”. He added that the move would leave the UK behind global standards when it comes to election integrity “at a time when we need to show global leadership in the fight against corruption”.
Other MPs campaigning for independence of the Electoral Commission include Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart. He said Donald Trump’s administration in the United States “shows us what a threatened democracy looks like: a shameless, corrupt politician who breaks the rules to protect himself and his interests.”
Smart added: “Nigel Farage is looking forward to the chance to apply this playbook here in the UK. “Friday’s sentencing of Nathan Gill is still fresh in our minds but may serve as a reminder of the kind of uninhibited political intervention that comes hand in hand with the UK Reformation.
“Our democracy is not safe while the Electoral Commission is left so vulnerable. The Liberal Democrats will use every tool to protect our precious democracy and the integrity of our elections.”
North Herefordshire Greens MP Ellie Chowns said: “Our democracy depends on institutions that the public can trust, and it is this trust that gives legitimacy to elections. Restoring the full independence of the Electoral Commission will strengthen transparency, increase public confidence and make clear that elections serve voters and not to the advantage of any party.”
New polling for campaign group Unlock Democracy shows seven in 10 voters think the Electoral Commission should “operate independently of political or government influence”; this includes three-quarters of likely Reform voters.
In opposition, Labor has strongly objected to ministers being able to direct aspects of the Electoral Commission’s work. However, in September 2025, the government’s speaker in the House of Lords confirmed that Labor “intends to set out a new strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission that will reflect the government’s priorities for elections”. [the] Increasing roles and responsibilities of the Commission”.
Tom Brake, CEO of Unlock Democracy, said: “Nothing can justify Labor’s inversion on this issue; no government should be able to interfere with the election regulator. Because the very need to say this is evidence of the damage to our democracy. The last Labor government understood that it had to be independent when it set up the Electoral Commission. This Labor government must honor its pre-election rhetoric and restore full independence to the Electoral Commission.”
The government maintains that the Electoral Commission is operationally independent.
