‘Tories disenfranchising armed forces veterans is peak Tory’
A former soldier said he was left “gutted” today when he was denied a vote at the polling station, as his Veteran ID was turned down as a valid form of photo identification.
Under the Tory government’s new draconian voter ID rules, his photo ID did not qualify as a valid document required in order to cast a vote in the local elections today.
Former soldier Adam Diver wrote on X: “I’m not one for complaining but I am gutted! I spent 27 years in the Army and today I was going to vote in my local elections.
“I was sadly turned away at the door as my Veteran ID was not allowed as formal ID.
“I will be fighting for this “special ID” to be “more” formal.”
The Electoral Reform Society said the case showed the “arbitrary nature of voter ID rules” in which the government gets to decide what counts, and what doesn’t.
Tory MP Johnny Mercer replied to the veteran with an apology and said he’d try to update the list of valid IDs before the general election.
The MP for Plymouth Moor View said: “I am sorry about this. The legislation on acceptable forms of ID came out before the veterans ID cards started coming out in January this year. I will do all I can to change it before the next one.”
However his apology for an issue, which occurred due the new requirements that he voted for, has been slated as commentators highlighted the irony. Labour councillor Martin Abrams responded on X that “Tories disenfranchising armed forces veterans is peak Tory.”
Another X user wrote: “Sorry? You should be ashamed.
“This is a direct (and predictable) consequence of your party arbitrarily introducing superfluous legislation to address something that was never a genuine concern. Voter suppression.”
Labour MP for Vauxhall Florence Eshalomi said: “Well maybe if your Government didn’t introduce Voter ID people would not lose their democratic right to participate in elections.”
Another X user responded: “What happens when you introduce pointless legislation.”
It comes after Tory MP Tom Hunt was left begging local members in his constituency for help to act as his’ emergency proxy’, after realising he lacked the appropriate form of identification ahead of the local elections today.
(Image credit: Coventry City Council)
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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