MID Wales activists travelled to London last week to protest the “sinister” Elections Bill.

The three activists travelled to London to join a protest in Parliament Square, London, on Saturday, 5 February.

The protest, organised by Make Votes Matter and other democracy sector organisations, was held to “speak up to defend our democracy” and to take a stand against the Elections Bill.

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake said he was “extremely concerned” about the bill, which would introduce new ID requirements in UK elections and “effectviely disenfranchise a significant proportion of the electorate and deny them their democratic right”.

Susanna Kenyon was one of the mid Wales protestors taking part: “A few of us from Ceredigion attended the rally, wearing Johnson, Gove and Trump heads, to draw attention to the Elections Bill.

“The Bill will disenfranchise an estimated one million young, or poor, and blind people, by bringing in photo ID as a requirement for voting.

“People who don’t have a driving licence or a passport, or a travel pass if over 60 will have to go through an extended process with the Council to get their vote in. This would affect an estimated 2.3 percent of the UK population registered to vote, or about 1 million people, and all of them to be potentially disenfranchised are not likely to be Conservative voters.

“Among other measures, the Bill will also confer powers on the government which will take away the independence of the Elections Commission. The Commission regulates donations, which might be for Downing St wallpaper, or for much more, and spending, among other roles.

“This would have the effect of allowing dark money into financing political parties, creating avenues for corruption and kneecapping left leaning and smaller parties.”

Susanna, who was joined by Jane Mansfield and another unnamed young person, said the bill is “another sinister move by the government to the right”.

On 25 January, Ben Lake tabled a motion calling for MPs to “strongly condemn the proposed changes to reserved elections”.

He added: “If ever there was proof of the increasing chasm between the approaches to politics in devolved nations and Westminster it is the Elections Bill. We must do all that we can to reject this attempt to disenfranchise our citizens.

“I have tabled a parliamentary motion calling on the UK Government to withdraw the Elections Bill and introduce legislation that enhances rather restricts democratic participation.”