Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Voter ID: Enfranchisement

Thursday 27 May 2021 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions addressed voter ID effects on enfranchisement levels.
  • Government research shows 98% of electorate already possess accepted photo ID.
  • Local authorities are responsible for ensuring all citizens can vote freely.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Zarah Sultana Your Party Coventry South
Democracy & Elections
Context

Discussion about the impact of introducing voter ID on enfranchisement levels.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the potential effect of the introduction of voter ID on levels of enfranchisement?

Answer from Michael Gove

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will take these Questions together, if that is okay.

Not addressed: The assessment of the impact of voter ID on enfranchisement was not addressed.

How: Procedural Announcement

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Q2 Angela Eagle Lab Wallasey
Democracy & Elections
Context

3.5 million people in the UK do not have acceptable forms of ID for voting, raising concerns about disenfranchisement.

Question

What are the Government going to do to ensure that people will not be denied their basic human right to take part in a democratic, free and fair election in the UK by these Government changes?

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady makes a very important point. It is integral to our democracy that everyone has the chance to vote and to have their voice heard, and research commissioned by the Cabinet Office shows that 98% of the electorate already hold an accepted form of photographic identification, and for those who do not currently a free local voter card will be available from their local authority.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete actions to prevent disenfranchisement other than availability of free voter cards.

How: Hedging Language

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Q3 Ellie Reeves Lab Lewisham West and East Dulwich
Democracy & Elections
Context

Bromley wards in the constituency experienced voter turn-away due to lack of appropriate IDs during a voter ID pilot.

Question

If this was scaled up nationally the overall number of those disfranchised would be huge, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission says it would disproportionately impact ethnic minority communities and older people, yet there were only 33 allegations of voter personation at the 2019 general election. Can the Minister not see the huge disparity here?

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady makes an important point. It is incumbent on local authorities like her excellent local authority in Lewisham to work to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to vote. I should say, because her question gives me an opportunity to do so, that in recent local elections, not just for the London Assembly and the London Mayor but across the country, those who work in local government—returning officers and others—did a sterling job in challenging circumstances, and I know that as we introduce reforms to ensure the integrity of the ballot, local authorities such as hers will be at the forefront of delivering those changes.

Not addressed: Did not address disparity concerns or validity of Equality and Human Rights Commission's statements.

How: Changing Subject

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Q4 Zarah Sultana Your Party Coventry South
Democracy & Elections
Context

The Prime Minister's past comments on voter ID.

Question

Why the change of heart? It is not because of evidence of voter ballot fraud, because just six cases were confirmed at the last election while millions of people risk losing their vote because they do not have photo ID. Might it instead be because the Conservatives want to copy voter suppression tactics used in the USA?

Answer from Michael Gove

We are not seeking to emulate America; we are seeking to emulate the Labour Government who introduced a form of photographic identification for voters in Northern Ireland when they were in power. I should say that the hon. Lady made reference to working-class people, and overwhelmingly, working-class people now are much more likely to vote Conservative than Labour.

Not addressed: Did not address motive inquiry; instead compared to Labour's past actions and criticized questioner's assertion about class voting patterns.

How: Changing Subject

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Q5 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Taxation Democracy & Elections
Context

£4 million spent on testing the policy despite evidence showing low incidence of electoral personation.

Question

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster knows fine well that there was evidence of voter personation in Northern Ireland, which was why we needed to see a change in legislation there, but he also knows that there have been only four convicted cases of electoral personation in Britain. So with £4 million of taxpayers' money already down the drain on testing this policy, that is £1 million per conviction; I have got to ask him, does he think this is really a good use of taxpayers' money?

Answer from Michael Gove

Oh yes, absolutely.

Not addressed: Did not provide any substantive justification or specifics on cost justification.

How: Broad Statements

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Q6 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Education Democracy & Elections Mental Health
Context

Concerns about prioritization of spending on electoral matters versus pressing issues like mental health beds and education.

Question

I have to question whether the right hon. Gentleman thinks that is a good use of taxpayers' money when there are people waiting for mental health beds up and down this country; I have to ask him whether it is the Government's priority when we have children needing to catch up on the education that they have been denied over the past year. If the Government want to spend this money on electoral matters, why not get the 9 million people who are not registered correctly in this country registered on the electoral rolls, allow them to use their vote and consider introducing universal voter registration?

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady makes two important points. Obviously, as we emerge from covid concentrating on recovery in public services is important, and she is absolutely right to say that there is work to be done not just in mental health but in the NHS and education, but fundamentally the integrity of our democracy is an important issue. As she knows, and as she has been reminded by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Constitution and Devolution, the Labour party's own internal democracy depends on the production of voter ID and—[Interruption.] Facts are chiels that winna ding, as we say in Aberdeen, and on that basis we are delighted to be emulating Labour party policy, in this regard at least.

Not addressed: Did not address alternative approaches or priorities of spending; instead referred to integrity of democracy and compared to Labour's own policies.

How: Changing Subject

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