A cross-party coalition of MPs and peers is urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to fully restore the Electoral Commission’s independence, warning that the UK risks falling behind global standards on election integrity if ministers retain powers to direct the watchdog.
In a letter to Starmer, parliamentarians from multiple parties argued that the body tasked with safeguarding elections must not be overseen by the same political forces it is meant to hold accountable. Their intervention comes ahead of the government’s planned elections bill, expected early next year, which will include votes for 16-year-olds and tighter rules on political donations.
Pressure to reverse Conservative-era reforms
The Labour government has so far resisted reversing a controversial change introduced under Boris Johnson, which gave ministers the authority to set the Electoral Commission’s annual priorities. The House of Lords previously attempted to block the reform, but the Commons reinstated ministerial oversight.
Phil Brickell, Labour MP for Bolton West and chair of the all-party anti-corruption group, said Labour was elected to rebuild trust in politics — and maintaining Conservative-era restrictions on the commission would undermine that mission.
“Keeping Tory measures to neuter the elections watchdog would leave the UK behind global standards on electoral integrity,” Brickell said, calling for Labour to demonstrate leadership on anti-corruption.
Cross-party criticism builds
Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart warned that weakening the commission could open the door to politically motivated interference, invoking recent events in the United States.
“Donald Trump’s presidency showed us what democracy under threat looks like,” Smart said, adding that UK figures like Nigel Farage could seek to replicate that playbook.
Green MP Ellie Chowns echoed the concerns, saying independent institutions are key to maintaining public trust:
“Restoring full independence strengthens transparency and ensures elections serve voters — not political interests.”
Polling shows public support
New data from campaign group Unlock Democracy indicates that seven in 10 voters — including a majority of likely Reform UK supporters — believe the Electoral Commission should operate free from political influence.
Despite opposing the reforms while in opposition, Labour signalled earlier this year that it intended to issue a new strategy and policy statement for the commission, aligning it with government priorities. Critics say this risks repeating the same problems they once denounced.
Tom Brake, chief executive of Unlock Democracy, called Labour’s shift “inexplicable”.
“No government should interfere with the elections regulator. The last Labour government created the Electoral Commission as an independent body — this one must honour that legacy.”
The government maintains that the watchdog remains operationally independent, even as pressure mounts to remove any political oversight.
