Government defeated in the Lords over plans to introduce photo ID in elections

Cabinet Office research has found that 42 percent of those with no photo ID said they were unlikely to apply.

Voting Ballot Box

The government’s plans to introduce photo ID at elections has been defeated in the House of Lords.

Under government proposals, voters would have been required to show photographic identification before being allowed to vote, a move that could result in over 2 million people losing the ability to vote, according to a report published by the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

The government’s Elections Bill will require individuals to show photographic ID for UK Parliamentary elections in Great Britain, local elections in England, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

Cabinet Office research has also found that 42 percent of those with no photo ID said they were unlikely to apply. There were only 6 cases of voter fraud at the last election, a fact admitted to by government ministers. Critics have said that the government’s proposals aren’t about tackling voter fraud but are instead about voter suppression.

Not only did peers in the Lords defeat plans to introduce photo ID by 199 votes to 170, they also supported an amendment to extend the list of ID that would be allowed, to include non-photo documents such as birth certificates, bank statements, council tax demands and library cards.

Tory peer Lord Willetts said his amendment to expand the list of accepted identification would allow the government to fulfil its 2019 manifesto commitment to introduce “identification to vote” at polling stations in an attempt to tackle fraud but also prevent large numbers of people being turned away from voting.

Willetts said: “Imagine if the outcome of the next election is a modest majority… where throughout the day the media story has been voters being turned away from polling stations.

“That seems to me a very significant political and constitutional risk that does need to be taken into account if this measure is introduced.”

Labour’s Baroness Hayman supported his amendment, arguing it would “help to mitigate against the serious concerns about the impact of photographic voter identification on turnout”.

Freddie Mallinson & Maddy Dhesi from youth campaign group #HandsOffOurVote said: “This amendment passing shows the Lords are willing stand up for voters. If held this amendment will save millions of British voters from losing their voice in our democracy, particular young people, those from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people. Today the Lords showed that democracy and inclusion trumps party politics.

“We are thrilled with peer’s votes against photo ID and hope the Government recognises voter ID is an affront to voters and UK democracy.”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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