Reform UK pushes Election Integrity Bill targeting non-English speakers and postal voting

Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage, has tabled an “Election Integrity Bill” that seeks to amend existing election law. The bill would remove the historic voting right of Commonwealth citizens, restrict election material to English, Welsh or Gaelic (or to formats such as Braille or British Sign Language), and require polling-station staff to assess whether voters have sufficient English to cast a ballot. It also proposes limits on postal voting and new safeguards against “family voting,” a form of alleged voter coercion.

The Independent

Reform UK reports that almost 10 million people used postal votes in the 2024 general election, a figure it cites to argue that the current system is vulnerable to abuse.

The Independent

Danny Kruger, head of Reform UK’s Department for Preparing for Government, argues that uncontrolled immigration and foreign-language campaigning are eroding Britain’s electoral system and that the bill is needed to “save our democracy.” A Labour Party spokesperson counters that the proposals are a “desperate attempt” by Reform to deflect from scandals surrounding Farage and his party, and emphasizes that Labour will protect democratic integrity through the Representation of the People Bill.

The Independent

Clare Williams, a national officer for the trade union UNISON, warns that the measures would “divide communities” and place polling-station staff in an “impossible position” by forcing on-the-spot judgments about English proficiency, potentially creating chaos at polls.

The Independent

Critics note that banning non-native British languages from election literature and curbing postal voting could disenfranchise millions, particularly low-income and minority voters who rely on these mechanisms. UNISON and Labour argue the proposals would exacerbate already low turnout and shift focus away from pressing issues such as the cost-of-living crisis.

The Independent

• “These concerns have yet to be addressed, with the arrival of the Boriswave accelerating the undermining of British democracy through massive numbers of non-citizens voting, foreign language-based campaigning, and coercive voting.” — The Reform

The Independent