Editor

Requiring ID at polling stations is not about protecting our democracy, it’s about limiting our democratic freedom. Best for Britain has pointed to data which shows, as of 2015, 3.5 million citizens, or 7.5 per cent of the electorate, did not have access to any photo ID, meaning that while the move may stop a dozen complaints of fraud, it could also disenfranchise or disincentivise millions.

The government also plans to dismantle the Electoral Commission watchdog and defang Judicial Review, which overturned the Prime Minister’s unlawful prorogation of Parliament in 2019.

Mayoral elections in England will be returned to First Past the Post – the only countries in Europe which still use this antiquated system for national legislatures are the UK and Belarus.

Taken together, these measures are a coordinated and insidious attack on the fabric of our democracy. They clearly show that the government wants to avoid accountability, in parliament, in court and at the ballot box, and it is vital that progressive parties work together to stop them.

Joseff Thomas

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