Ensuring equal representation in Parliament: who counts?

The UK government announced on July 16 that it had decided to end the transition period to Individual Electoral Registration early. The Electoral Commission had recommended that it did not, and thereby allow some 1.9 million people who would otherwise be removed to remain on the electoral roll for a further year. The Commission’s reasons for this concern the potential disenfranchisement of a large number of potential voters at next year’s important elections to devolved bodies and local governments. A further important reason not given is that ending the transition period early could bias the allocation of Parliamentary constituencies for the 2020 general election against the country’s urban areas. Ron Johnston, Charles Pattie and David Rossiter explain why.