Bolton West MP Chris Green’s bill calling for voters to prove their identity when going to polling stations to combat electoral fraud has made it through the first stage – despite objections from a Labour MP.
The ten minute rule bill – a type of Private Members’ Bill that allows a backbench MP to make their case for a new bill – started with a speech made by the MP setting out his case in the House of Commons yesterday (23 November, 2016).
During the speech, the MP said:
“We have all heard the phrase ‘vote early and vote often’, but it appears that that is increasingly happening.
“Britain has a formidable history as the mother of Parliaments, and the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy has been adopted by many other nations. If our model falls into disrepute and fails, that will be bad for democracy the world over; if we sit back and allow that to happen for fear of change, we will be in the wrong.
“Challenging issues of community cohesion and political engagement must be taken into account, but they must never be an excuse for failing to act to uphold the rule of law.”
After the MP had finished his speech, Labour MP John Spellar gave a speech objecting to the proposals, likening them to something from the Donald Trump “school of disinformation.”
Speaking after the debate, Chris added: “The fact that a Labour MP compared a simple measure like showing your ID to vote to something Donald Trump would do shows just how out of touch Labour are.
“The measure would bring us in line with how they do things in Northern Ireland and it’s a small price to pay to ensure that we have an honest electoral system.”
The bill passed this stage and a Second Reading is scheduled to take place on Friday 20 January, 2017.