Speaking after the Government wrote to universities and colleges encouraging student registration with no mention of the local elections in May, and with just days to go until the deadline to register, Gloria De Piero, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration, said:
“I’m pleased to hear that the Government has finally changed their mind. But I’m so disappointed that colleges and universities will only be receiving Government guidance days before the deadline to register for next month’s crucial elections - so many won’t have time to act before their students miss their chance to have a say.
"And we are still waiting for the PM to answer our letter calling for more work to be done in schools and with university enrolment procedures to get our young people on the register.
"Come on Prime Minister – if you don’t want to reply to me, at least have some respect for the sixteen organisations representing young people, headteachers, lecturers and school teachers who want to hear from you about your plans to support them in getting the next generation on the electoral register.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Government wrote to UK universities and colleges yesterday, encouraging them to help students to register to vote in the EU referendum, with no mention of the deadline for next month’s local elections on Monday 18th April.
Labour has been calling for on the Government for months to address the disproportionate impact of IER on young people and student areas.https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-01-27/debates/16012749000017/PoliticalEngagementYoungPeople#contribution-16012749000040.
In response to a letter from Gloria De Piero in February, John Penrose did not agree to her request to issue guidance to universities on voter registration. https://t.co/600mqwUICh
The Prime Minister has not responded to the below letter from 16 civil society organisations working with young people which was sent on 8th March:
Dear Prime Minister,
We are writing to you in light of the recent ONS and Electoral Commission figures which show that the electoral registers have been reduced by over 1.4 million people since the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER).
It is particularly alarming that the number of registered attainers (16 and 17 year olds who will soon become eligible to vote) has fallen by 40%. I am sure you will agree that urgent action to address this is now necessary.
The voluntary Northern Ireland ‘Schools Initiative’ simply makes it easier for schools and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to work together to help pupils sign-up to the register. You will be aware that after changes to electoral registration in Northern Ireland, just 244 attainers were on the register. However, after this programme was introduced, this number increased to 11,227. If a UK-wide Schools Initiative had a similar success rate, we could register an extra 34,448 attainers.
We believe that the Government should issue special guidance to EROs as soon as possible, reminding them of their power to go into schools in the same way that the Northern Ireland Chief Electoral Officer does. We would also ask for the Department of Education to issue urgent guidance to schools, Further Education colleges and sixth forms across the country. This guidance should ensure that these institutions are aware of the dramatic fall in attainers on the register following the transition to IER, and request that they welcome their ERO to assemblies or classes before the deadline to register to vote in May’s elections.
We are also concerned about the significant drop in voter numbers in some university towns. For instance, Canterbury and Cambridge are in the top five worst hit constituencies as part of the move to IER. The Government should learn from the Universities of Sheffield, De Montfort and Cardiff, who give their students the option to register to vote during their online enrolment process. We would ask that you provide the support and guidance universities need to engage with Electoral Registration Officers nationwide to introduce integrated voter registration as soon as possible and get their students back on the register in the next academic year.
We hope you will agree that we cannot allow the next generation of voters to lose their voice - especially as we know black and minority ethnic people are less likely to be registered. We would welcome your response to these points, and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Gloria De Piero MP
Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration
Michael Sani
CEO, Bite The Ballot
Russell Hobby
General Secretary, National Association of Head Teachers
Chris Keates
General Secretary, NASUWT
Christine Blower
General Secretary, National Union of Teachers
Nicola Dandridge CBE
CEO, Universities UK
Sally Hunt
General Secretary, Universities and Colleges Union
Malcolm Trobe
Interim General Secretary, ASCL
Katie Ghose
CEO, Electoral Reform Society
Anna Smee
CEO, UK Youth
Alice Memminger
CEO, UpRising UK
Megan Dunn
National President, NUS UK
Vonnie Sandlan
President, NUS Scotland
Beth Button
President, NUS Wales
Simon Wooley
Director, Operation Black Vote
Emma Chivers
Chair, Youth Cymru
Ben McKendrick
CEO Scottish Youth Parliament