Voter ID: Govt dragged to the Commons to answer questions over botched rollout
EMBARGO: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Liberal Democrats secured an Urgent Question on the rollout of voter identification plans and questioned the Minister for Local Government, Lee Rowley. This comes on the heels of reports showing that under 21,000 had applied out of the 2 million people estimated to need the certificates.
With just two and a half months to go before the local elections, only 505 people over 75 had applied and fewer than 6% of those applying were aged under 25.
The Minister responded by denying the failure of the rollout, leaving questions unanswered around potential solutions to the problems, increased access for those with limited access to the internet, engagement and support for local authorities.
Liberal Democrats have been opposing the Voter ID regulations since they were first introduced into Parliament via the Elections Act. The party called votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to stop the regulations from passing.
Lib Dems are calling for the rollout to be halted and for the regulations to be immediately revoked.
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Local Government Helen Morgan MP, who called the Urgent Question, said:
“The Conservative Government has taken away people’s unobstructed right to vote, and now are refusing to cancel these plans before it’s too late.
“Today, the Minister continues to evade and deny that there is even a problem - just weeks away from elections. It's shameful.
“Voter ID regulations are nothing short of voter suppression. Liberal Democrats will stop at nothing to stop these unsavoury, Trumpian tactics that have no place in British democracy.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
