Parliamentary candidates could be barred from standing if they do not pass an enhanced DBS check which flags criminal records to employers, under a new plan put forward by MPs.

The Government is set to introduce election legislation which would extend voting rights to 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds , review voter ID requirements, improve voter registration, and strengthen the rules on donations to political parties. The Elections Bill, expected early in the new year, is already being eyed up for amendment by MPs.

Emily Darlington, Labour MP for Milton Keynes Central, is seeking to make the Electoral Commission recommend enhanced DBS checks for candidates and then publish whether or not parties have agreed to the vetting. The aim is to ensure political parties justify whether their can

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