Green Councillors today called on unregistered voters across the city to register to vote by the end of this week, in order to avoid losing fair representation in Parliament.
The move came as part of the last ditch cross-party effort to register everyone who can vote, before Parliamentary boundaries are redrawn by the Conservative national government.
In the upcoming review, boundaries will be set according to the number of people included on the electoral register at the end of this week. The problem is that recent changes to electoral registration have reduced the number of people registered to vote, with people on low or average incomes or who are renting property less likely to be represented. As Conservative voters are more likely to be registered, the move is expected to make it easier for Conservative MPs to win key seats.
Green Councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty, convener of the Green group, said:
“This is a dangerous and partisan attack on our democracy which will unfairly discriminate against those on low incomes, people living in rented accommodation, women, families, students and young people. It will strengthen the Conservative majority and make it harder to vote them out. This is part of the ongoing Tory campaign against the most vulnerable, which is now being extended to an attack on the many hard-working people unable to buy their own home.
“It is absolutely critical that people register to vote before the end of the week. It takes only 5 minutes and could be the single most important action individuals can take to stand up t against he discredited Tory austerity agenda.
“If you care about having a society that provides opportunities for everyone, that supports its most vulnerable citizens, and protects precious assets like parks, libraries and schools, you need to act now. If people don’t register, another 10 years of Tory government will be far more likely – a devastating prospect for anyone not wanting to return to the Victorian era”.
Act before 20th November to save our democracy. Simply go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and register yourself – it just takes 5 minutes. You’ll need your national insurance number to hand. On 20 November 2015, local authorities will close their electoral registers. 20 November 2015 is the last day to register online.