MPs shocked at electoral plan

The Guardian reports that MPs were shocked at revelations encapsulated in the proposed plan to make voter registration one of choice, rather than being compulsory as at present. So they should be - and would be if I had my way; they would be provided with 240 volts on a continuous basis until such time as they begged to be allowed to grant a referendum on EU membership - but I digress.

We have Roger Mortimore from pollsters Ipsos Mori warning that the poor, young and ethnic minorities may be disenfranchised by these plans. Well stap my vitals - or as dear Anthony Aloysius Hancock used to say, stone me - we can't have the downtrodden ethnic minority section of our society disenfranchised, what ever next?

That 10% of the electorate may then not be included in voter registration is another example of smoke and mirrors. Looking at voter turnout since 1945 until 2010, it peaked at 83.9% in 1950 and between 1945 and 1997 it remained in the 70% region. It then plummeted to 59.4% in 2001 (so the first 4 years of Blair wiped 12% off the figure of those voting) and in 2005 and 2010 steadied in the mid 60% range.

So between between 1997 and 2010 approximately 35% of the electorate either registered and did not bother to vote or some registered and some didn't. In any event, who is to say that this 10% about which MPs are getting in a tizzy is not already part of the 35% who chose not to vote?

The interesting statistics are those for the estimated turnout by age from which it could be surmised that the poor educational system we have had for the past few decades has not equiped some of those eligible to vote with the necessary ability to know what an 'X' is and where to put it - but again I digress.