Question:
The Government’s plan to introduce a requirement for photographic identification before allowing people to exercise their right to vote will disenfranchise Wokingham Borough residents who do not have photo ID. Depending on the forms of ID allowed, about 8% of electors do not have photo ID. I am sure no member of this Council will wish to see voter suppression on this or scale or indeed any attempt at voter suppression. Will the Leader of the Council write to the Borough’s MPs to express Council’s opposition to voter suppression and to urge the MPs to speak out against these measures and to vote against the Bill when it comes before Parliament?
Minutes:
The Government’s plan to introduce a requirement for photographic identification before allowing people to exercise their right to vote will disenfranchise Wokingham Borough residents who do not have photo ID.
Depending on the forms of ID allowed, about 8% of electors do not have photo ID. I am sure no member of this Council will wish to see voter suppression on this or scale or indeed any attempt at voter suppression. Will the Leader of the Council write to the Borough’s MPs to express Council’s opposition to voter suppression and to urge the MPs to speak out against these measures and to vote against the Bill when it comes before Parliament?
Answer
The Government argues that every ballot matters and that photo ID will protect voters from having their votes stolen. The Government argues that vote stealing is not a victimless crime and that this is a responsible measure to protect people’s votes.
A commitment to introduce voter ID for UK Parliamentary elections in England was included in the Manifesto in December 2019. The Queen’s Speech of 11 May 2021 confirmed that an Electoral Integrity Bill would be introduced in the 2021/22 session of Parliament. The details of the Bill will be published in due course. We don’t know what they are, but the Government has said that a broad range of documents already in use will be accepted. For example: travel passes, proof of age standards, pass cards and photo parking permits issued as a Blue Badge. In addition, expired photo ID will be accepted as long as the photo is a good enough likeness, in a written statement on 12 May 2021.
In an update on preventing electoral fraud, the Government stated that the latest commissioned research found that 96% of respondents had suitable ID with a recognisable picture.
Voters in Northern Ireland must provide photo ID before receiving a ballot paper. Voter ID requirements were introduced after the 1983 General Election following concerns about the extent of voter fraud. There has been no evidence that ID requirements in Northern Ireland have affected turnout and allegations of “personation” (the crime of pretending to be someone else when you vote) have been eliminated.
Since 2014, the Electoral Commission has recommended that photo ID should be required in the rest of the UK. Pilots were held in England in 2018 and 2019. The Government declared them a success following their own evaluation of the pilots and committed to introducing a Voter ID scheme. The Government has stated that, overwhelmingly, the majority of people were able to vote and there is no indication that a consistent demographic was adversely affected by the use of photo ID.
Of course, we will look carefully when the details of the Bill are published to ensure that no Wokingham residents who are entitled to vote are disenfranchised. However, it would not be appropriate for the Council to oppose these proposals unless and until we have received specific concerns about them, which we have yet to receive.
Supplementary Question
It is extraordinary to compare the situation in Ireland with the sectarian issues they had. It is simply not applicable to the UK. The legislation is addressing a problem, the theft of votes, which does not exist. The aim of the legislation is to make it more difficult for people to vote. That would be the theft of votes.
Do you think that political leadership involves standing up for our democratic process regardless of the party advantage that may accrue from gerrymandering it?
Supplementary Answer
That is a very prejudicial question you have just asked, because you answer your own question. Of course the Council would be against gerrymandering. However, we can’t comment on a Bill we haven’t seen and, as you know, I have been very willing and capable of standing up to central Government on things that the Council disagrees with and which are not good for WBC or its residents.