A Professor of politics at the University of Salford has spoken out on the governments new proposals that will look to eliminate voter fraud in the UK.
The proposals will mean that voters will have to bring an item of identification, such as a driver’s license or a passport, to the polling station, to prove their identity.
Speaking to Salford Now’s live programme on Monday, Professor Martin Bull warned that recent trials of this new voting system had varied success.
“There was a trial done on local elections, there were pilot studies done in five areas, and the results of that were mixed, in one respect the operation went reasonably smoothly but in another respect some of the evidence showed a fairly evident correlation between the proportion of black and ethnic minority voters in these areas and those not voting.
“So I think the concern is precisely that these measures if rolled out nationally, without very big supportive mechanisms may end up actually suppressing voting.”
When asked how these new measures would effect Salford residents, Professor Bull said, “I think the danger is that those who currently do not vote, are likely not to vote and many of those who come from minority backgrounds are likely not to vote as well”.
Another critic of these new voting proposals is Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who has similar reservations about how these proposals would effect ethnic minorities.
Mr Corbyn said: “These plans are clearly discriminatory and a blatant attempt by the Tories to suppress voters, deny people their democratic rights and rig the result of the next general election.”
Around 3.5 million people in the UK don’t have photographic identification. However, government sources have suggested a new free ID card could be made available.
You can listen to Professor Martin Bull’s comments below.
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