Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Voter Identification Scheme

14 September 2023 · 16 other contributors

Opened by Rachel Maclean Con Cannock Chase

Democracy & Elections

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Rachel Maclean raised concerns about voter identification scheme in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • The Minister praised the initial roll-out of voter identification at local elections in England, noting a 99.75% success rate.
  • An evaluation of the implementation will be published by November 2023.
  • The evaluation follows recommendations from the Electoral Commission and Sir Eric Pickles' report.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Rachel Maclean

The Minister praised the initial roll-out of voter identification at local elections in England, highlighting that 99.75% of electors successfully cast their votes and adapted well to the changes. She noted that an evaluation of the implementation will be published by November 2023, following recommendations from the Electoral Commission, international electoral observers, and Sir Eric Pickles' report on electoral fraud. The Government is committed to understanding the policy's impact in practice and identifying areas for improvement.

Other contributors (16)
  • Wendy Chamberlain Lib Dem North East Fife

    Question

    The shadow pointed out that reports show difficulties for certain groups to present accepted ID, including disabled people, the unemployed, younger voters, and ethnic minorities. She questioned the evaluation's independence and measures to prevent voter disenfranchisement in future elections.

    Minister reply

    The Minister defended the legislation already passed and reminded of previous Liberal Democrat support for electoral identification in Northern Ireland. She acknowledged taking Electoral Commission recommendations seriously but emphasised that scaremongering from Opposition parties was harmful to democratic safety.

  • Peter Bottomley

    Question

    He suggested improving voter attestation methods, where a household member with ID can attest for another’s identity, and considered neighbour or community support as alternatives. He highlighted the importance of addressing low electoral roll completeness and participation rates.

    Minister reply

    The Minister thanked him for his sensible comments and reiterated that ensuring democratic safety from potential interference is crucial. She supported her Government's efforts in protecting democracy through practical measures.

  • Florence Eshalomi Lab Co-op Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

    Question

    The MP questioned the Minister's presentation of the Electoral Commission’s report as supportive, highlighting concerns over the impact on minority ethnic voters due to strict ID regulations. She urged for reforms in acceptable IDs and a vouching rule.

    Minister reply

    Rachel Maclean welcomed Florence Eshalomi to her place and reiterated that the Government is working with the independent Electoral Commission on its recommendations. She challenged Labour’s credibility regarding voter confidence and cited the commission's positive assessment of recent elections.

  • Bob Blackman Con Harrow East

    Question

    The MP highlighted the issue of personation in voting, emphasising that voter ID ensures such activities do not happen. He also raised the importance of proper policing for postal and proxy votes.

    Minister reply

    Rachel Maclean agreed with Bob Blackman’s points about detecting impersonation and ensuring proper policing of postal and proxy votes. She mentioned past cases of electoral fraud in Tower Hamlets and Birmingham.

  • Patrick Grady

    Question

    The MP pointed out that concerns about the introduction of photo ID raised during the passage of the Elections Bill have been borne out since it became law, questioning steps to remove barriers for voting ahead of the general election.

    Minister reply

    Rachel Maclean reiterated her commitment to work with the Electoral Commission on all its recommendations. She cited the success of voter ID in Northern Ireland and challenged Patrick Grady’s stance.

  • Ian Liddell-Grainger

    Question

    The MP suggested extending the list of acceptable IDs, including expired documents that still have a photograph.

    Minister reply

    Rachel Maclean thanked Ian Liddell-Grainger for his suggestions and stated that her department is working closely with stakeholders to address practical barriers encountered at polling stations.

  • Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton

    Question

    The MP questioned the inconsistency in acceptable ID, specifically mentioning why an 18-year-old’s bus pass is not accepted while a concessionary one for over-60s is.

    Minister reply

    Rachel Maclean explained that eligibility criteria differ between types of passes and that extending ID acceptance involves considering such differences.

  • Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham

    Question

    The MP observed that most people found the ID requirement acceptable during local elections, asking for assurances about thorough examination of postal voting systems.

    Minister reply

    Rachel Maclean acknowledged Martin Vickers' observation and reiterated the public support for voter ID policies. She highlighted that prior to these measures, electoral fraud was easier to commit.

  • Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

    Question

    If we as a country truly value democracy, it should be in the interests of the state that as many people as possible vote. What measures are under consideration to ensure that voters will not be turned away at the next general election?

    Minister reply

    For the hon. Lady’s benefit, I will repeat the specific answers I have already given. We know that the vast majority of people were able to vote successfully, so I have nothing to do other than remind her that the Liberal Democrats supported the introduction of photographic identification in Northern Ireland.

  • Richard Burgon Lab Leeds East

    Question

    A constituent informed me she would not vote because she lacked voter ID. Ethnic minorities and unemployed voters were more likely to be turned away at polling stations. Will the Minister reflect on our journey towards increasing participation in democracy, and how this policy robs people of their democratic rights?

    Minister reply

    The hon. Gentleman suggests that introducing photographic identification is not suitable or harder than taking out a library book. This shows the Labour party is unprepared for government; it does not take seriously threats to our democracy from international actors.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Question

    The electoral voter ID system in Northern Ireland has been successful, with people getting their IDs in person. Will the Minister consider setting up hubs across UK constituencies for easier access to voter IDs?

    Minister reply

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for his practical wisdom from Northern Ireland’s policy; however, a much smaller list of documents is used there. The Electoral Commission’s recent survey shows that no respondent from Northern Ireland reported being unable to vote due to lack of ID.

  • Andrew Jones

    Question

    Has the Minister received representations about voter ID in Northern Ireland from colleagues, particularly Opposition parties? After all, those were introduced by a Labour Government and used for internal elections.

    Minister reply

    My hon. Friend is spot on; if Labour Members now think voter identification is wrong, why are they not campaigning to repeal their own laws? Why should electoral fraud be tolerated in Great Britain but not Northern Ireland?

  • Kirsten Oswald

    Question

    The Minister refers to 'international actors' who pretend to vote. The reality is that younger people, ethnic minorities, and unemployed individuals were disproportionately disenfranchised by voter ID rules.

    Minister reply

    No, I do not understand the hon. Lady’s perspective; this is standard practice across European Union countries in all manner of elections.

  • Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston

    Question

    The Government have committed to an independent review of voter ID changes. Can the Minister tell us who will conduct that review and what its terms of reference will be?

    Minister reply

    We will make further statements on that process in due course, and we will be subject to the usual parliamentary scrutiny.

  • Gavin Newlands

    Question

    The Minister’s answers have taken sophistry to new levels. She said 99.7% of voters were able to vote but many did not bother trying. The Government knew younger people, ethnic minorities and the unemployed would be disproportionately affected.

    Minister reply

    It is right that I put on record once again that everybody can vote across the UK with free methods available to everyone.

Shadow Comment

Wendy Chamberlain

The shadow criticised the roll-out of voter identification, citing reports from the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Information Unit. She noted that disabled people, unemployed individuals, younger voters, and ethnic minorities found it harder to show accepted ID, with more deprived areas having a higher proportion turned away. Chamberlain highlighted the potential for hundreds of thousands of people being deterred or denied votes in future elections and questioned the cost-benefit analysis given low levels of electoral fraud.

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