MPs press for digital campaigning to be brought within the scope of electoral law
MPs are pressing for a loophole in Britain’s electoral laws to be closed post haste amid fears that the government may delay legislating on the matter until the next significant election, currently expected to be a Scottish Parliament vote in May 2021.
MPs press for digital campaigning to be brought within the scope of electoral law
At issue is the current wild west of digital political campaigning which remains outside the remit of electoral laws despite fears over an absence of transparency and foreign funding.
The digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee warn that an important election or referendum could happen before that date, rendering an urgency to reform which hasn’t materialised thus far.
In a statement outlining their position, the committee said: “The government cannot work on the basis of elections not taking place before 2021. Were an election or referendum to take place later this year, campaigns would be fought using electoral law that is wholly inadequate for the digital age. As a result, we believe that urgent legislation should be brought forward at once to bring electoral law in line with digital campaigning techniques.”
The DCMS intervention came as it criticised the government for turning a blind eye to its recommendations on online harm, specifically on the tighter regulation of digital spending on campaigns and the creation of a searchable public archive of political ads.
Social media providers including Facebook have taken flak for failing to adequately police political ads.