A letter to the Star from Thomas Atkin-Withers
Currently, the new elections bill (officially the Representation of the People Bill) is in Parliament. Now, credit where credit is due, the Government has proposed some important measures, a strengthened electoral commission, rules banning foreign donations and especially votes at 16.
Voting at 16 is something I would have loved to do as a teenager. I’m a youth charity trustee living in the Graves Park area. I know a lot of young people want to have their say on the issues that affect them.
Lack of affordable housing, record-high tuition fees, lack of youth facilities and services, SEND education, and urgent action to address the climate emergency. Votes at 16 includes people in the decision-making that affects them.
Labour could’ve brought proportional representation, ending MPs being elected without a clear majority, including a record 10 MPs that were elected with under 30% of the vote in 2024. This would prevent governments from having large majorities when only 33.7% of people voted for them. It could be allowed for Council and Mayoral elections too through the Single Transferable Vote, so councillors can’t be elected on 36.4% of the vote, as Graves Park’s councillor was in 2024, the lowest result for any elected councillor that year in Sheffield.
They could’ve abolished the Lords, an ever-growing house of cronyism, packed by prime ministers and their allies. No one should be able to sit in parliament because their ancestors did, or because they’re friends with the PM, or a Bishop.
They could’ve scrapped the bogus voter ID laws brought in by the Tories, which stopped 400,000 registered voters from having their say in the 2024 General Election, despite minimal evidence of any voter fraud in the UK.
Finally, they could’ve properly moved power out of Westminster, and devolved to the regions what is devolved to Wales, so money in Yorkshire can stay in Yorkshire to benefit people in Yorkshire, rather than being funnelled down to London. Devolution would allow us to improve healthcare, public transport, and housing, and bring down the cost of living, the priorities of people across Sheffield and Yorkshire more widely.
We need people across our country to actually be able to have a say and change things, rather than finding an ancient system in the way. That is the only way we can fix what is broken, for people across Graves Park and across our country.
Thomas Atkin-Withers, Candidate for Graves Park
