Voter ID law is ‘staggering waste of money’ and must be stopped, says Shropshire MP
A Shropshire MP has described plans to introduce voter ID as a “staggering waste of money” and warned they will lead to voter suppression.
In April, the Elections Act 2022 was passed by Parliament which would require voters in Great Britain to show photo ID before being issued a ballot paper in polling stations at elections and referendums.
The plans have been condemned by campaigners who say the changes will take votes away from many people who lack the correct photo ID.
The Liberal Democrats have argued that the proposed rules over which IDs are valid would disproportionately affect younger people who are more likely to not support the Conservative Party.
Speaking at the House of Commons on Monday, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan said: “This government should be trying to give the next generation a reason to vote for it, not suppress their view because they've offered them nothing.
"It beggars belief that this scheme is going ahead. Our councils are cutting critical services because of extreme financial pressure and we shouldn't be burdening them with the additional cost for a scheme that is totally unnecessary.
“The Government hasn't shown any concern at all about the possibility of postal voter fraud, which isn't going to require any form of ID.
"I fear that it's down to the fact that postal voters are most likely to be older and vote Conservative, while the young and the other groups that we've mentioned are more likely to support an opposition party.”
Research has shown that around 3.5 million people are unlikely to have the right ID, and the Conservative chair of the Local Government Association has called for the plans to be delayed because councils will not have time to implement the rules before May without putting access to votes at risk.
Mrs Morgan told MPs: “In summary, I would urge the House to consider the fact we don't need photo ID, we can't afford to implement the scheme, and the proposals will simply lead to voter suppression.”
On Tuesday Liberal Democrats will be trying to block new Voter ID regulations using a rare Parliamentary procedure called a ‘Fatal Motion’.
