Voter ID rules could be seen to benefit Conservatives, warns elections watchdog

Conservative ministers have “opened themselves” up to the charge that a new voter identification scheme is designed to benefit the Tory party, according to the head of the UK elections watchdog.

John Pullinger, chair of the Electoral Commission, warned that the “very, very tight” rules that will force voters to carry ID at this year’s general election risked disenfranchising certain groups.

“The photo ID requirement is clearly proving more of a barrier to some people than others,” Pullinger told the Financial Times in a wide-ranging interview, in which he warned that young people were being put off voting by the “bad behaviour” of politicians. He also raised concerns about female candidates being targeted with “deepfake” pornography.

The voter ID system was first introduced under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the local elections in England in May last year. The government allows 22 forms of ID, including rail cards, for older people, who are more likely to vote Conservative, while similar cards for young people, who typically lean towards Labour, are not permitted.

Ministers have pointed out the government has offered a free voter ID for people who do not have another permissible document. ID has been mandatory in Northern Ireland elections since 1985.

Pullinger said the commission, which is responsible for regulating political finance and overseeing elections, accepted the principle of mandatory voter ID as strengthening the security of elections.

However, he said the watchdog had recommended the government widen the list of accepted documents and proposed allowing people with acceptable ID to “vouch” for another voter, a system used in some other countries.

He also noted an attempt by Tory peer Lord David Willetts to introduce a “broader list” of admissible IDs. Willetts had highlighted the low level of impersonation at polling stations in the UK at previous elections.

Pullinger said the government had rejected the move, citing the…