Cat Smith MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, responding to the news that the Cabinet Office has invited local authorities to deliver voter ID pilots at local elections in May 2019, said:

“After the fiasco at this year’s local elections, with hundreds of legitimate voters turned away from polling stations, it is a disgrace that the Tories are ploughing on with another round of their dangerous voter ID pilots.

“Leading charities, academics, campaign groups, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have all warned that these proposals will disenfranchise the most marginalised groups in society.

“Instead of listening to the experts, ministers have buried their heads in the sand and now plan to waste tens of millions of pounds rolling out voter ID nationwide at the next general election.

“The Tories should stop trying to make it harder for people to vote, abandon their undemocratic proposals, and start addressing the real threats facing our democracy.”