Overview

This bill mandates the creation of a new bill within 12 months, establishing a process for referendums on implementing proportional representation (PR) in local government elections in England. These referendums would only occur if a 10% petition of electors and a resolution from the local government body are both in favor.

Description

This bill requires the Secretary of State to draft a new bill to create a framework for holding referendums on changing the voting system for local government elections in England to proportional representation.

Triggering a Referendum

A referendum will be triggered only if two conditions are met: (a) a petition signed by at least 10% of the electors in a local government area requests a referendum; and (b) the relevant local council votes to hold a referendum.

Referendum Timing

The referendums, if held, would be conducted on the same day as the next local government elections in that area.

Geographic Scope

This bill applies only to England and specifically to unitary authorities, county councils, district councils, and borough councils.

Government Spending

The bill itself doesn't directly allocate funds. However, the subsequent bill it mandates will likely incur costs associated with organizing and running the referendums (e.g., printing ballots, staffing polling stations, counting votes). The exact cost is not specified in this bill.

Groups Affected

The following groups are potentially affected:

• Electors in England: They can petition for a referendum and vote in any resulting referendum.
• Local Councils in England: They have a role in deciding whether to hold a referendum.
• Political Parties in England: The outcome of any referendums could significantly impact their electoral prospects.
• The UK Government: Responsible for drafting the subsequent legislation to implement the referendums.

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