The government has introduced legislation it says will prevent foreign actors from using money to interfere in UK elections, while extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds in the biggest expansion of democratic participation in a generation.

The Representation of the People Bill was presented to Parliament on Thursday, 12 February, by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Ministers said the package will tighten political finance rules, strengthen enforcement powers and update electoral processes ahead of the next general election.

At the centre of the proposed reforms are new restrictions on company donations to political parties and campaigners. Under the bill, companies will be required to demonstrate a “genuine connection” to the UK before making political donations. The government said that would include showing they are headquartered in the UK, are majority owned or controlled by UK electors or citizens, and have generated sufficient revenue to cover the donation.

Ministers said the change is intended to close a loophole that currently allows a newly registered company, owned and funded from overseas and without a track record of trading, to donate to political causes in the UK.

The bill also proposes new “Know Your Donor” guidance and tighter requirements for unincorporated associations, as part of a broader set of political finance reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability.

Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said the legislation was designed to respond to heightened concerns about overseas interference. “The Representation of the People Bill will protect our democracy against foreign interference and give young people the right to vote,” Reed said. “Growing threats from abroad mean we must make changes to keep our elections secure. We won’t let hostile foreign states use dirty money to buy our elections. We are keeping British democracy safe for British people.”

In its announcement, the government pointed to recent cases it said demonstrated the need for tougher safeguards, including former MEP Nathan Gill, and Christine Lee, a UK-based lawyer who was identified as working covertly on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

Alongside new donation rules, the bill would raise the maximum fine the Electoral Commission can levy for breaches of political finance rules to £500,000, expanding the regulator’s ability to take enforcement action. The government said the changes build on its 2025 Strategy for modern and secure elections.

Ministers also said the bill will be informed by the findings of the Rycroft Review, which is examining ways to go further in tackling illicit money entering politics from abroad, including potential routes involving cryptocurrencies.

The proposed reforms sit alongside a wider security agenda. The government noted that in November the Security Minister told MPs he would coordinate a Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan intended to disrupt and deter spying.

The legislation would also extend voting rights in all UK elections to 16- and 17-year-olds, adding an estimated 1.7 million potential voters to the electorate. The government said it is delivering a manifesto commitment and remains on track to have the changes in place before the next general election.

Samantha Dixon, the Minister for Democracy, said the vote should be extended to reflect young people’s engagement and the role of education. “I know from speaking to so many passionate young people just how keen they are to get involved in our democracy,” Dixon said. “With democracy taught as part of the national curriculum, millions of young people will have the knowledge and confidence to take part in our democratic process for the first time. This landmark bill will make their voices heard, while cracking down on those who wish to intimidate people taking part in our democracy and subvert our elections with illicit foreign money.”

Votes at 16 would align UK-wide elections with arrangements already in place in Scotland and Wales for devolved polls, a change ministers described as the largest shift in UK democracy in a generation. The government said it has drawn on evidence from the Scottish independence referendum, arguing that lowering the voting age can lead to high levels of turnout and engagement among younger voters.

Beyond the franchise and political finance, the bill includes measures the government said are intended to protect candidates, campaigners and electoral staff from abuse and intimidation, against a backdrop of rising harassment of elected representatives. Ministers said women and minority ethnic representatives face a disproportionate share of abuse.

The proposals would give courts the power to impose tougher sentences for offences involving electoral intimidation and would remove the requirement for candidates acting as their own election agents to publish their home address. The government said the work forms part of a programme led by the Defending Democracy Taskforce.

The bill also contains commitments to explore new technologies and make greater use of digital and data capabilities across government to improve voter registration. The government cited an estimated 7-8 million eligible people who are either not registered or incorrectly registered to vote, describing registration reform as a necessary step to widen participation and improve accuracy.

In parallel with the legislation, a small number of local authorities in England will pilot new approaches at local elections in May 2026, testing what the government described as two flexible voting options. Examples set out by ministers include placing polling stations in locations such as train stations and supermarkets, intended to make voting simpler by offering people more choice about where and when they cast a ballot. The pilots are expected to be evaluated before any wider rollout is considered, with further details to be set out in the coming weeks.

Other measures signalled by ministers include plans to crack down on harassment and intimidation and to make rules around voter ID “fairer and more accessible”, though the government has not yet set out full operational detail in its announcement.

The government also said eligible Irish companies making political donations to parties in Northern Ireland will be subject to equivalent checks, reflecting the different political finance arrangements applying in Northern Ireland.

Sector and civic education groups broadly welcomed elements of the package. Harriet Andrews, director of democratic education organisation The Politics Project, said: “We welcome the move by the government to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds. There’s a perception that this age group doesn’t care about politics, but after more than ten years supporting young people to engage in democracy, we know they care deeply about the issues that shape their futures. As young people prepare to go to the polls, it’s vital that they’re supported by high-quality democratic education. We’re ready to help the next generation of voters build the skills and confidence to cast their first votes.”

Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, said: “The big change of votes at 16 will bring welcome harmonisation to the age of attainment for all elections across the UK, but seemingly smaller changes will also make a huge difference year-round. This is especially true for the postal voting system which, as we saw in 2024, doesn’t always meet electors’ expectations. While we regret it is necessary at all, including electoral staff in measures to combat abuse and harassment is an important step. Intimidation of any kind around elections is unacceptable and threatens our democracy.”

The government said the reforms in the bill are intended to be delivered during the lifetime of this Parliament, with the aim of having key changes in place for the next UK parliamentary general election. The bill’s progress is expected to face detailed scrutiny during its parliamentary stages, including over the definitions used to establish whether a company has a genuine UK connection and how new compliance requirements will be enforced in practice.