Andy Burnham urged to make voting compulsory to avoid 'distorted' election results

Andy Burnham is being urged to make voting compulsory across Britain amid claims dwindling turnout is producing “distorted” election results.Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock has thrown his weight behind calls to introduce a legal duty to participate in elections, with Britons potentially facing a fine for failing to cast a ballot.Lord Kinnock said compulsory voting was becoming “increasingly justified and necessary” as he warned falling turnout risked weakening accountability.He said: “When turnouts have fallen for various negative reasons, election results are consequently distorted, accountability can be diminished and disengagement from community obligations becomes habitual. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say “Compulsion to use, or even to attend and abstain, is now increasingly justified and necessary.”Lord Kinnock pointed to Belgium, where voting is compulsory, after living in the country for a decade.He said: “I lived for 10 years in Belgium and saw compulsory voting in practice. The high turnouts and extent of engagement in the democratic process strongly assists democracy in a country with complex ethnic and political arrangements.”The Labour heavyweight said his experience had reinforced his belief that “democracy and citizenship in the UK would benefit greatly from a comparable system of legal obligation”.Turnout at Britain's 2024 general election stood at around 60 per cent, the lowest at a general election since 2001.By comparison, turnout at Australia's 2025 federal election was around 91 per cent under the country's compulsory voting system.Baroness Jan Royall has confirmed she intends to move an amendment on compulsory voting as the Government's Representation of the People Bill passes through the House of Lords.Proposals previously put forward during the Bill's passage included a £10 penalty for failing to participate without a valid exemption, while allowing voters to return a blank or spoiled ballot rather than vote for a candidate.Exemptions proposed under the model include illness or disability, absence from the UK and sincerely held religious or conscientious objections.Former Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett is also expected to back the push, alongside Lord George Foulkes.ANDY BURNHAM - READ THE LATEST:Andy Burnham accused of sending 'dangerous message' to Putin as Russia 'threatens to burn Europe'Labour set to slash taxes for high street businesses as PM vows to create 'symbol of resistance'Andy Burnham poised to tear up Keir Starmer's jury trial plans in major Labour U-turnMr Burnham himself previously refused to rule out compulsory voting while serving on Labour's front bench in 2012, warning that turnout was “getting too low to ignore”.The campaign comes as the Government pushes ahead with wider changes to Britain's electoral system, including lowering the voting age to 16 and introducing automated voter registration.Critics of compulsory voting have argued that forcing people to participate does not necessarily make voters more politically informed or engaged, while opponents also maintain that citizens should retain the freedom not to take part in elections.However, Charles White of the Campaign for Compulsory Voting described the proposal as a “common sense reform".He said: “When public apathy threatens the health of our democracy, waiting for turnout to fix itself is no longer an option.”A Government spokesman said: “Different democracies make different choices about how they encourage electoral participation. "Our focus is on removing barriers to participation and making it easier for eligible electors to register and vote.“Through our Representation of the People Bill, we’re taking steps to boost participation in our democracy, including giving 16 year olds the vote and moving towards an automated voting registration system so more people can make their voices heard.”The Representation of the People Bill is now before the House of Lords after completing its Commons stages.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter