Representation of the People Bill

Baroness Coffey Excerpts

Committee stage
Wednesday 4th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The noble Lord is quite right: any assessment of pilots must take cost into account.

I turn to Amendments 129 and 136, tabled respectively by the noble Lords, Lord Jackson of Peterborough and Lord Walney. It has been good to have the opportunity to consider this important and sensitive issue. Our electoral law must protect voters from coercion and undue pressure, while ensuring that faith leaders and communities remain free to express their religious and moral views and participate fully in our democratic life. I understand the wish of the noble Lord, Lord Jackson, to ensure that the provisions relating to spiritual injury and undue spiritual pressure continue to strike that very careful balance and remain clear and workable for faith communities, campaigners and voters alike. Examples of what constitutes “undue pressure” have been provided in the Explanatory Notes to the Elections Act 2022. I hope I can offer some reassurance that the Government continuously keep electoral law under review to ensure that it remains effective, proportionate and responsive to evidence about how it operates in practice. However, setting out a requirement for a review in statute is unnecessary.

On Amendment 136, from the noble Lord, Lord Walney, as I am sure he will be aware, spiritual injury and undue spiritual pressure are already capable of falling within the “undue influence” offence in Section 114A of the Representation of the People Act 1983. We do not consider a separate polling station offence to be necessary. Undue influence is already unlawful wherever it occurs, and the focus should remain on the coercive behaviour itself, rather than creating a separate offence based on proximity to a polling station.

[Baroness Coffey (Con)]

My Lords, I thank the Peers who spoke to this wide-ranging group. I am slightly disappointed by what the Minister said to my amendment. I just hope that, as soon as somebody becomes 16, there is a way for electoral registration officers to follow up on the integrity of the register to check it is valid. A whole range of things have been considered. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my Amendment 10.

Amendment 10 withdrawn.