Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Bridgen Excerpts

Wednesday 5th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr William Wragg (Hazel Grove) (Con)]

5. What steps the Government are taking to tackle electoral fraud.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)]

13. What steps the Government are taking to tackle electoral fraud.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Skidmore]

The IER digital service operated by the Cabinet Office checks the details provided by the applicant, including their national insurance number, against government data before passing on the application to the relevant local electoral administration teams.

[Andrew Bridgen]

It has been highlighted that all someone needs when they go to vote is a name and an address. In theory, someone could get hold of a telephone directory and vote all day in different polling stations. Does the Minister agree that it is time to use photo identification to prevent electoral fraud?

[Chris Skidmore]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. People deserve to have confidence in the security of our democratic system of elections. Voter ID has been in place in Northern Ireland for decades, and the use of photographic ID was introduced in 2003 under the previous Labour Government. The Electoral Commission has consistently called for use of ID in polling stations to protect the integrity of the polls. The Government will conduct voter ID pilots in the local elections in May 2018 to enable us to learn what works best, and to ensure that we develop a system in which there is full public confidence.