Weston-super-Mare LibDems slam undemocratic Tory "voter suppression plan"

A solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

The Conservative Government's proposal in this week's Queens' Speech for voters to be required to present photo IDs is nothing less than an attack on democracy.

Instead of bringing forward real plans to improve social care or properly fund our vital public services, the Tories are spending time tackling a problem that doesn't exist - only one case of vote fraud was detected in the whole of the UK in 2019.

What these plans will do is exclude almost a quarter of the electorate - mostly younger, more vulnerable people who do not have photo ID - from participating in democracy.

LibDem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Weston-super-Mare and the Villages, Cllr Patrick Keating, said:

"I would hope that our MP - who claims to be a defender of liberty and democracy - will oppose this over-the-top solution to a totally non-existent problem, which will only discourage voting by younger people in Weston. If the Government is really serious about bringing back honesty into our politics, they should make sure they should deliver on their promises to the people of Weston and the villages, instead of gaming the voting rules to avoid being held accountable."