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MPs have hauled a top Tory over the coals for defending a government policy Labour have dubbed its "stupidest ever".

Chloe Smith valiantly praised her plan to force all voters to show ID - despite campaigners arguing it's a "sledgehammer to crack a nut".

Authorities dealt with just 28 allegations of in-person voter fraud in 2017. Yet during a trial, 340 voters were turned away for not having ID in just five areas.

The Constitution Minister was repeatedly tripped up by MPs as she defended the policy at an extraordinary hearing of the Commons Public Administration Committee.

She admitted the trial cost almost £2million; said she has no idea how much the wider scheme will cost; and even appeared to admit Labour will lose out.

Here are 5 toe-curling moments we watched through our fingertips.

1. When she put her foot in it over the numbers

(Image: PA)

Ms Smith was very cross at the Electoral Reform Society, a campaign group that's pushing to scrap the scheme.

She accused them of "wildly inaccurate and misleading and scaremongering figures". But her own use of figures was interesting too.

She insisted the 340 voters turned away for not having ID during the trial were a “very small number”, at 0.14% of those eligible to vote.

Yet she also claimed in-person voter fraud was an "obvious weakness in our democracy" that could "rob" people's votes - even though the 28 allegations in 2017 amount to 0.000063% of votes.

Asked about this discrepancy, she said: "Either you care about small numbers or you don’t.

"Society should worry about small numbers either way, right? And therefore we should worry about any crime that has small numbers being committed."

But as for the "small number" of 340 people turned away - 17,000 when scaled up nationally - she suggested it was fine not to let them vote.

"I think it is legitimate to ask the question... should they have been voting?" she said.

2. When she seemed to admit Labour will lose out

(Image: AFP)

It's been claimed Labour will lose out more than the Tories under the scheme - because poorer voters are less likely to have photo ID.

So Ms Smith was asked by the committee chief, Tory Bernard Jenkin, if she'd received any evidence one party will have an advantage over another under the new system.

She replied: "Um, yes, I think it’s fair to say, Sir Bernard - in the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate this point has been made. Um, and, I’m sorry to have to report it is the Labour party, um, that I think has this, er, problem."

She added: "I have put on record before that it is a case of double standards when that argument is made.

"Because in fact it’s the Labour party that already requires ID for example in their local party meeting processes and therefore it’s a little rich to object to it as a matter of policy for everyone else in the country.

"I think it’s quite distasteful actually if any party were to try to ‘own' a certain type of voter and say they may not have the free choice at elections to do what they wish to do with their vote."

It's not fully clear if she meant Labour will lose out, or it's Labour that claimed they'll lost out, but those are the words she said.

3. When she admitted the trial alone cost almost £2million

(Image: AFP)

Ms Smith revealed the five trials of voter ID - along with three other trials involving postal votes - cost £1.9million.

She suggested this may not include publicity costs, thought to run to hundreds of thousands of pounds, which are still being totted up.

4. When she admitted she doesn't know how much more it will cost

Government documents have suggested the scheme could cost up to £20million in a full general election.

Ms Smith said she doesn't yet know how much it would cost.

In fact, she said she doesn't even know how much the next round of trials will cost.

Asked to confirm she's rolling the plan out across the country, despite not knowing what it'll cost, she said: “That’s right”.

Sir Bernard frowned: "It seems rather odd that you’ve committed to the policy without understanding the cost of the policy."

5. When she admitted Scotland and Wales have rejected it

(Image: Jeff J Mitchell)

Ms Smith confirmed the Scottish and Welsh governments had been invited to try out voter ID - and neither of them took it up.

"Verbally that’s been done, and it is my understanding neither administration is going to go forward to do it," she said.

Asked if it was true they'd declined, she said: "It could be."