• 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, three-and-a-half million citizens, or some 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 de-fang judicial review which, for example, overturned the prime minister’s unlawful prorogation of parliament in 2019.

Mayoral elections in England will be returned to FPTP, first-past-the-post. The only countries in Europe which still use this antiquated system for legislatures are the United Kingdom and Belarus.

Taken together these measures are a co-ordinated 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. It is vital that progressive parties work together to stop them.

It’s about time we made our voting system fair so that election results actually reflect the will of the people, every vote is counted, and trust is restored in our political system. Until we do, progressive parties must unite to resist this unchecked power grab from those at the top.

LEWIS EVANS
Camden Road, NW1