North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has welcomed the decision to pilot a scheme requiring voters to produce ID in this year's local elections and highlighted the hypocrisy of the Labour Party in North Swindon, which opposes the pilot but used the same scheme as part of its candidate selection process.
At next month's local elections residents in Swindon, Bromley, Gosport, Watford & Woking will have to produce ID in order to cast their ballot as part of a nationwide scheme to eliminate instances of electoral fraud.
The independent Electoral Commission has, since 2014, pushed for the introduction of ID to strengthen the system, and it has welcomed the Voter ID pilots as a positive first step towards implementing its own recommendation that an accessible, proportionate voter identification scheme should be introduced in Great Britain.
National figures from the Electoral Commission indicate alleged electoral fraud through voter impersonation more than doubled between 2014 and 2016.
In Swindon, residents will need to bring their poll cards with them to vote. If a person loses their poll card or forgets to bring it with them to the polling station, they will need to present another form of ID from the list below:
- Passport (UK, EU, Commonwealth) (can be expired or unexpired)
- Photocard driving licence including a provisional licence (UK, Crown Dependency or EU)
- Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
- Biometric Immigration Document
- EEA Identity Card
No other forms of ID apart from the ones listed above will be accepted. This includes utility bills, bank statements, council tax bills and other official written correspondence.
As a last resort, if a person does not have their poll card or any of the ID listed above, they can bring someone with them to attest to their identity. The person attesting will need to be registered at the same polling station and have already voted themselves, or have the ability to vote by presenting their poll card or other form of ID.
Residents in Swindon have been supportive of the pilot; with a large number expressing concern that they have to produce more in the form of identification to collect a parcel from a sorting office than is currently required to vote in an election.
In stark contrast, The Labour Party in Swindon has called the Voter ID pilot "a barrier to democracy" and called for it to be scrapped.
However, as Justin highlighted in the House of Commons, the North Swindon Labour Party showed their hypocrisy last weekend by requiring its members to produce ID in order to select its next parliamentary candidate - exactly the same process as the Voter ID Pilot.
Nationally, Labour's opposition to this important change also rings hollow. Labour introduced a compulsory requirement to produce photo ID to vote in elections in Northern Ireland in 2003, and began looking at rolling out the policy across the rest of the country.
During the debate, Minister for the Constitution Chloe Smith MP, also noted that there had been several examples of Labour councillors and activists across the country contacting local newspapers to suggest that the policy concerned that this policy is going to affect “those most likely to vote Labour” , further evidence that Labour is only opposed to the measure because it believes it will cost the party votes.
Evidence from Northern Ireland & Canada, where the requirement to produce ID to vote is already in place, shows that turnout in unaffected and authorities are better able to identify potential instances of unlawful activity occurring.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "Each and every vote is precious, and we must ensure that all elections are free from any form of unlawful act. Residents in Swindon want to be confident that everyone who is entitled to vote in elections can vote, and no one who does not have that right is able to do so. In Swindon, our fantastic Electoral Registration Team have communicated to every household on several occasions how this pilot will work, and the response from the public has been incredibly supportive. I am disappointed that out of touch & hypocritical members of the Labour Party claim to oppose these important reforms yet use them to select their candidates. It's just another example of Labour members deploying their 'do as I say, not as I do' philosophy".
Minister for the Constitution Chloe Smith MP said: "In making these changes, we will bring our electoral system in line with others such as that in Northern Ireland or Canada, which operate successful programmes, and recognise that there is an increasing expectation that someone’s vote should be protected and carefully guarded. We already ask that people prove who they are in order to claim benefits, to rent a car or even to collect a parcel from the Post Office, so this is a proportionate and reasonable approach. Democracy is precious and it is right to take that more robust approach to protect the integrity of the electoral process."
You can find out more about the Voter ID pilot in Swindon via https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20073/elections_and_voting/883/local_elections_may_2018_important_id_requirements_for_swindon_borough_voters/1
