Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Voter ID: May 2023 Local Elections

Monday 9 January 2023 · 4 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government continues to work actively to ensure voter ID is implemented for the 2023 local elections.
  • Hon. Member Richard Burgon criticizes voter ID as an attempt at vote rigging.
  • Government stresses importance of ballot box integrity and ongoing work with stakeholders.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Richard Burgon Lab Leeds East
Democracy & Elections
Context

Government is considering voter ID requirement for May 2023 local elections despite warnings from experts about feasibility and potential disenfranchisement.

Question

What assessment has the Minister made of the feasibility of bringing in voter ID for local elections in May 2023? The Government's imposition of voter ID, despite there being hardly any instances of voter fraud, is a crass attempt at vote rigging, and now the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association are warning it will not even be possible to have everything ready by this May's local elections. So will the Minister do the right thing for our democracy and pause the roll-out?

Answer from Lee Rowley

The Government continue to work actively to ensure that voter ID is delivered in time for the 2023 elections, and we will continue to work with the Electoral Commission and all other parties, including local authorities. The hon. Gentleman has deployed some pretty outrageous rhetoric on an important issue. We want to maintain ballot box integrity and people can cast their vote knowing it works.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address the feasibility issues or commit to pausing the roll-out despite warnings from experts.

How: Outrageous Rhetoric

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Q2 Richard Burgon Lab Leeds East
Democracy & Elections
Context

Government is considering voter ID requirement for May 2023 local elections despite warnings from experts about feasibility and potential disenfranchisement.

Question

The Government's imposition of voter ID, despite there being hardly any instances of voter fraud, is a crass attempt at vote rigging, and now the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association are warning it will not even be possible to have everything ready by this May's local elections. So will the Minister do the right thing for our democracy and pause the roll-out, or will the Minister ignore the experts and plough on?

Answer from Lee Rowley

The Government continue to work actively with the Electoral Commission and local authorities. The hon. Gentleman has deployed some pretty outrageous rhetoric, but we will ensure that in May 2023, people can cast their vote knowing it works.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address expert warnings or commit to pausing the roll-out.

How: Outrageous Rhetoric

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Q3 Michael Fabricant Con
Context

Opposition Members argue that there are hardly any instances of voter fraud, but the Government believes voter ID is necessary to ensure ballot integrity.

Question

Does not the Minister agree that the reason why Opposition Members say that there is no voter fraud is because they do not know, and only when we have voter ID will we be able to be sure there will be no voter fraud?

Answer from Lee Rowley

The basic principle is that we want to ensure that the ballot box has integrity and works, so when people go to vote, it works.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a direct yes or no answer regarding whether he agrees with the view on voter fraud.

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Q4 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
Democracy & Elections
Context

Government is committed to delivering voter ID by May 2023 despite warnings from experts about feasibility.

Question

Happy new year, Mr Speaker, to you and to all our colleagues. The Government have been clear that it is important to ensure the ballot box has integrity. Will the Minister continue to work with everyone to deliver this in 115 days?

Answer from Lee Rowley

The Government have been clear for a number of years that it is important that the ballot box has integrity, so we are bringing forward voter identification and will continue to work with all organisations to make sure it happens.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to delivering voter ID within 115 days despite previous assurances.

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