Good morning and thank you Jessie for your kind introduction. Welcome to all of you who are attending in the room today and online.
I’m Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall since 2019. I’m also the recently appointed Shadow Minister for Democracy and Devolution.
And it’s great to be following two London councillors. Before I entered Parliament, I was the Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark and a Brixton Hill Councillor myself.
So clearly I can’t get enough of elections !
We meet today at an important moment. 2024 is a critical year not just for the UK, but for our trust in democratic processes around the world.
This year, billions of people around the world will cast their votes. From India to Mexico, the US to Ghana and, if the Prime Minister keeps to his word, the UK as well.
That so many people around the world can choose their representatives is something we must cherish and celebrate.
But for those to be free and fair elections is also something that we must continue to fight for and protect.
As an MP, I know that my constituents are understandably angry about the state of politics in the UK. I see that in my inbox every day and at my regular advice surgeries.
They are angry about the decline of our schools, hospitals and public services.
Angry about our broken housing market driving up rents and house prices.
Angry about countless scandals in Westminster that have eroded trust in our democracy.
But I believe that the power of a simple vote can be a force for change and renewal against this climate of anger.
It gives a chance for people to have their say on the local, regional and national issues that impact their daily lives.
It provides the potential for national renewal.
There is nothing more important than that.
That is why the work that many of you do every day, in this space matters so much to our future.
Growing up, I saw that my Brixton community suffered from a lack of representation in the authorities that decided so much about our lives. Too many of the people in charge locally did not reflect the communities they served.
And so, aged 25, I decided to put myself forward as a candidate. It was the scariest thing I had done, but I knew that my anger at the council was not going to change unless I engaged with the system that was causing my frustration.
Today, I’m proud to stand in Parliament as the MP for the area I grew up in, amplifying the views and priorities of my home community to the Government.
But this was only possible because I saw the power that voting and taking part had.
If people don’t trust our system, don’t see the point in voting or don’t feel part of our decision-making bodies, they will switch off from politics. Their voice will be lost in our political system, and we are all poorer for it.
Because political apathy robs us all of the strength that a truly representative democracy brings.
That’s why it matters that people trust in our electoral system.
Too often, it can feel as though conversations around democracy are abstract and theoretical.
But the ability of our electoral system to represent the people and deliver change is critical to ensuring that people are motivated to take part.
Under this Government, we have seen the introduction and implementation of the flagship Elections Act.
Some of these measures are welcome. Changes to make it easier for disabled people to vote are positive. As are the steps taken to modernise some of the methods we use for voter registration.
But I am concerned about the impact that much of the Bill will have on people’s access to voting and trust in our electoral system.
No legitimate voter should be locked out of democracy. But a recent APPG report found that there was a real risk of potential racial and disability discrimination because of the photo ID requirement introduced by the Tories in the Elections Act.
On top of this, introducing a time limit on postal voter registration could massively increase the burden on already stretched electoral administrators.
We must also be aware of the impact of the extension of overseas voting rules beyond the 15-year rule.
Under this rule, expats living abroad for more than 15 years will be able to get on the electoral register and vote.
This potentially opens up a huge loophole in our donation laws.
It could give more people in hostile foreign states the green light to get on the electoral register and flood money into our political system.
And this is not an empty threat. There is clear evidence of these actors attempting to influence UK democracy. Just last year, we saw a cyber-attack on Britain’s Electoral Commission.
With so many people across the world going to the polls within this year, we must work to protect our democracy from hostile actors.
The next General Election will also be the first since AI technologies have become widely available across the world.
This isn’t the first election to be influenced by new technology. The evolution of TV changed how people consumed politics throughout the 20th century.
And in the 21st century, we’ve seen the emergence of the internet and social media have a huge impact on how we engage with news, politics and information.
Change is inevitable over time and is often a force for good. But we must be proactive in confronting the challenges of today’s technological environment and the impact it will have on our democracy.
With the emergence of AI, the creation of convincing imitations and distribution of disinformation has become easier and easier.
And the rapid advancement of this technology makes it impossible to say exactly what we’ll face when it comes to the next election.
It makes dealing with disinformation harder.
But it also makes it even more vital that we are active in ensuring our politics is free and fair, not just in the UK but across our collective democracies.
But we must also look at how our current system works.
Because we have already seen how disinformation thrives when politicians are spreading it for their own gain, and people don’t believe we’re being honest with them.
We must create trust in our political system.
This trust is anchored in hope and a belief that politics matters for people’s lives.
That your vote can bring the improvement that is badly needed.
That you have a say in how your community is run. And that decision makers are using their powers fairly.
But how do we get there? I think the answer comes in three stands.
Firstly, we must set higher standards in public life. No more VIP lanes. No more breaking the rules that you set for everyone else.
I remember during the pandemic, seeing people in Vauxhall work in intensive frontline jobs at St Thomas’s hospital or one of the many busy supermarkets. They all managed this while still obeying Covid rules.
Only to find out that those setting those rules were flouting them at the heart of Government. And that ministers, MPs and officials could fast track firms for lucrative government contracts.
The reputational damage that does to trust in our political system cannot be overstated. And it must never be repeated.
Secondly, we must ensure that local communities feel they have the power to create change in their area.
As someone who has represented communities at three levels of government, I know that there is immense hunger for change across our political system.
But I also know the frustration felt when things in your area happen to you and not with you.
I know how this switches people off from politics and erodes their belief that their voice matters.
We need to move away from a centralised and controlling government, towards one that puts trust into communities themselves.
We need not look further than the work Andy has done in Manchester, or Sadiq here in London, to see the power this could unleash across the country.
Finally, and linked to this, everyone in the country must feel heard in our political system.
This means making our politics representative of the whole country.
It means that anyone with the desire to stand for office and serve their local community feels empowered to.
It means that politicians use the power they have to improve the lives of the people around them.
That’s why Keir announced last week that under Labour, politics won’t be a hobby but will be rooted in the responsibility of service, focused on the potential for national renewal.
In my role as Shadow Minister for Democracy and Devolution, I know that we have to do far more to break down the barriers that stop people having their say.
We must encourage people to take part across our society. Making sure that we are regularly speaking to everyone in our communities and that our institutions are welcoming places.
On this note, I was delighted to hear our Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities announce plans to make every political party publish data on the diversity of candidates for parliamentary elections in England Scotland and Wales.
Over time, this transparency will help shine a light on the need for diversity in our politics.
I also know the immense frustration that many 16 and 17-year-olds will face at the next General Election.
These are the young people who are finding their feet in the world.
They are applying for jobs and Universities, looking at moving out of their family home and figuring out what the future holds for them.
Yet their first experience of politics is likely to be one of frustration.
They are old enough to start making these big decisions in their own lives and will be impacted by the political choices made around them.
But they will have no voice at the next election.
This is wrong and damages the trust young people have in our democracy.
As a long standing campaigner on this, I am proud the next Labour Government would extend the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds.
I will wrap up by saying that restoring trust in our democratic system will not happen overnight. Nor will it happen without hard work and commitment.
But there is so much at stake if we do.
Only then can we create a better, more resilient politics and a belief in the power of democracy to deliver change. There is nothing more fundamental than that.
Thank you.
