Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the policy paper "Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern & secure elections", published on 17 July, which are the "legitimate smaller parties” referred to in paragraph 63.

The prohibition on dual registration has historically affected organisations which operated under formal electoral agreements and stood joint candidates with other parties. Despite their longstanding and legitimate arrangements, these restrictions meant legitimate smaller parties were excluded from participating fully, effectively barring these parties from our democracy.

These reforms now plan to correct this issue in limited circumstances, which will allow legitimate campaigning, while still preventing parties from gaming the system.

These measures support the broader democratic objective of enabling a diverse range of campaigners to participate in political debate. It is vital that voters are able to hear a variety of voices and perspectives, and third-party campaigners play a critical role in fostering healthy democratic engagement.