David Davis blasts voter ID plan as ‘illiberal’ solution as bill passes first hurdle
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis has hit out at UK Government plans to introduce voter ID laws at future general elections.
Davis said the plans to demand potential voters produce photgraphic ID is an “illiberal” solution in search of a “non-existent problem”.
The Elections Bill will make it a requirement for voters to show an approved form of photographic identification before collecting their ballot paper to vote in a polling station.
Davis said in opposition to the potential law: “Government research itself found that those with disabilities, the unemployed, people without qualifications, people who have never voted before, ethnic minorities, are all less likely to hold any form of ID. Two groups of them, the over-85s and the disabled, have between five and 10 per cent with no ID.”
Davis added: “This is very serious. We are talking about a quite significant fraction of our population. Those groups are described as two million people who will have to be met by some ID system.
“Two million people balanced against three voter convictions. That’s the problem we are facing.”
Davis’ opposition did little to help the Labourparty’s move to block the bill.
Labour wanted to decline giving the Bill a second reading after raising various concerns, including that it created “unnecessary barriers to entry for voting”.
But its motion was defeated by 329 votes to 230, a majority of 99.
The Bill later received a second reading by 327 votes to 228 and will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.