LABOUR councillors and activists in Stroud district have described plans to bring forward a new system of registering to vote as ‘a body blow to democracy’.

The UK government recently brought forward a deadline to complete the move to a new voter registration system from December 2016 to this December.

Under the new system, voters who have not been processed when the deadline passes will be taken off the electoral roll and must re-register.

Councillors said it’s estimated that a million people could lose their ability to vote in council and government elections in the next year.

“From 2013 the Tories have been bringing in staged changes to the way people register to vote - and there’s clear evidence that their plan to bring forward the last stage of these changes a year earlier than planned will mean many people will get left out and lose their vote,” said Uplands councillor Chas Townley.

“And it is young people, students, people who tend to move around more and people in private rented accommodation who are most likely to lose their vote.

“Labour-led Stroud District Council is working hard to increase the number of people registered to vote, but the council is having to spend more time and money on trying to get as many people registered as possible.”

“At the moment there are 10,000 households who have not responded to the forms that were sent out and council officers will be going out to all areas to try and push up the number of people who have registered to vote.”

Rachel Curley, Cainscross councillor, added: “It’s ironic that 2015 is the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta as well as the opening of a new film about the suffragettes’ fight to get votes extended to women.

“In contrast, we are seeing this year a cynical and shameful reduction in democracy deliberately brought in by the Tories.

The government said the changes are designed to reduce fraud and make the electoral register more accurate.

  • To register please visit: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote