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Boris Johnson has been warned that he could “accidentally disenfranchise” many of the Tory voters he needs in the north of England if he chooses to introduce mandatory photo ID at elections.
A new poll by YouGov found that the impact of the proposed new rules would be felt strongest in the north of England, where one in 14 people do not have a suitable form of photographic identification.
Labour, along with some senior Tories and civil society groups, has accused the government of using “Trumpian tactics” in an attempt to “rig democracy” with the proposals.
Meanwhile, MPs voted for a “draconian” policing bill on Monday that would give police powers to impose restrictions based on noise and even ban demonstrations by a single person.
The Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, warned that the laws would “undermine the proud British tradition of standing up for what we believe in and respecting others’ rights to do the same”.
MPs vote for ‘draconian’ Policing Bill despite mounting opposition
MPs have voted for “draconian” protest laws in spite of mounting warnings over the threat to human rights and questions over whether police want or need the powers.
The new bill would allow police to impose restrictions on protests based on noise and even ban demonstrations by a single person, while also creating a criminal offence of “public nuisance”
Our home affairs correspondent, Lizzie Dearden, and political editor, Andrew Woodcock, have the full story below:
Conrad Duncan6 July 2021 08:07
Johnson warned he could ‘accidentally’ disenfranchise Tory voters with photo ID plan
Boris Johnson could “accidentally disenfranchise” many of the Tory voters that he needs in the north of England if he chooses to push ahead with plans to bring in mandatory photo ID at elections, according to polling from YouGov.
Marcus Roberts, head of international politics at YouGov, said: “Boris Johnson’s 2019 and 2021 victories owe much to Northern voters who haven’t traditionally voted Conservative.
“But with data showing 1 in 14 Northern voters lacking ID, No 10 should be careful they don’t accidentally disenfranchise the very voters their recent wins owe so much to.”
Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has the full story below:
Conrad Duncan6 July 2021 07:54
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UK politics today.
Conrad Duncan6 July 2021 07:43
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