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Scrapping compulsory voter ID for UK elections is “not on the table”, according to Keir Starmer’s democracy minister Rushanara Ali.
The minister’s comments come despite over 16,000 people being turned away and denied a vote at last year’s Westminster election due to not possessing the right kind of identification. This compares to just one conviction for in person voter fraud in the year of the 2019 general election.
The Government is currently reviewing Voter ID, which was introduced by the last Conservative Government to stern opposition from democracy groups.
Campaigners have held out hope that ministers could abandon the restrictions.
However, asked on Tuesday if the removal of voter ID was “on the table”, Ali told MPs: “No, it’s not. What we are focused on is improving the system and making sure that we look at what else we can do in relation to voter ID, and getting those legitimate voters who are excluded included.”
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Her comments to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee contradict media reports in January – particularly from the Telegraph – that the Government was considering scrapping voter ID altogether.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner had told MPs then: “In all of the reports that we’ve had in the past, in terms of electoral fraud [it] is very, very, very, very minor…And, therefore, we want to enfranchise people into exercising their vote and we’ll look at voter ID as part of that.”
This week’s committee hearing followed up the Electoral Commission’s recent report on the introduction of voter ID, which highlighted ‘a number of significant improvements necessary to support participation and trust in future elections’.
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Minister Ali also told MPs that electoral reform – i.e. changing the voting system – was “not a priority” for the Labour Government. She referred repeatedly to the 2011 referendum under the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition Government, on the Alternative Vote, which is not a proportional voting system and was widely viewed as a fudge.
But she said the Government was nonetheless “absolutely committed to strengthening our democracy, encouraging full participation in our elections, and ensuring all eligible electors have a voice and people’s views are fairly represented.”
“We’re working closely with the Electoral Commission and stakeholders across the sector to deliver upon our priorities, to improve registration, extend voting rights for all UK elections to 16 and 17 year olds, ensure we have appropriate voter ID rules, and strengthen the political finance framework,” she added.
PACAC scrutinises the spending, policies and administration of the Cabinet Office, which oversees election policy and administration.
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