House of Commons – March 2, 2026 – 435

I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “That” to the end of the Question and add: “That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Representation of the People Bill because reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 is inconsistent with and contradictory to other aspects of the Government’s position on ages of majority and citizenship;

automatic voter registration will lead to less accurate electoral registers and open the door to fraud;

the Bill has been drafted without proper engagement with political parties;

the Rycroft review into foreign financial interference in UK politics has yet to report;

it does not include effective measures to tackle foreign interference from China and other hostile actors;

and it believes that it would be preferable to proceed with a new Bill in the next Session of Parliament, following the report of the Rycroft review and proper consultation with political parties.”