LONDON : Members of the House of Lords will discuss the key principles of the Representation of the People Bill at second reading on Monday 14 September.
The Representation of the People Bill aims to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections, and change electoral law across the UK regarding electoral registration, voter identification, conduct of elections, political finance regulation and enforcement arrangements for the Electoral Commission.
Debate on the draft law:
During second reading, members will discuss the topics in the bill and draw attention to concerns or specific areas where they think amendments (changes) are needed.
Members speaking
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Members speaking in the debate include:
- Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative), 2021 London mayoral election candidate
- Lord Balfe (Conservative), Vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for
Fair Elections - Baroness Deech (Crossbench), Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission
- Lord Evans of Sealand (Labour), Senior adviser, The Progressive Policy Institute
- Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated), former First Minister of Northern Ireland
- Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour), former governor of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy
- Baroness May of Maidenhead (Conservative), Prime Minister, 2016-19
- Lord Mott (Conservative) former Director of Campaigning of the Conservative Party
- Lord Norton of Louth (Conservative), Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies at the University of Hull
- Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat), former Chair of General Election Campaign for the Liberal Democrats
Representation of the People Bill
(Government Bill / Originated in the House of Commons, Sessions 2024-26, 2026-27
Last updated: 11 September 2026 at 12:05)
Long title
Make provision extending the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds; to make provision about the registration of voters; to make provision about the administration and conduct of elections, referendums and recall petitions; to make provision about election agents’ addresses; to make provision about political expenditure and political donations; to make provision about information to be included in electronic campaigning material; to make provision about offences and civil sanctions in connection with elections, referendums and recall petitions and with donations and expenditure for political purposes; to repeal provision about the designation of a strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission; to make provision about the disclosure of information by the Electoral Commission; to make provision about the disqualification of offenders for holding elective offices, and their sentencing, where offences are aggravated by hostility towards persons involved in elections, referendums or recall petitions or holders of such offices; and for connected purposes.
Current version of the Bill
HL Bill 47 (as brought from the Commons)
3 September 2026
https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/67603/documents/8724
