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Tomorrow, in the Queen's Speech, measures to introduce voter ID will be unveiled. So perhaps this is a good time to remember what Boris Johnson said about ID cards. 1/n
The end of Boris Johnson's column railing against the introduction of ID cards back in 2004. 2/n
So, how much of a problem is voter fraud in the UK? Only 1 person was convicted for it in 2017 and there appears to be evidence of only one other conviction since 2010. 3/n
Source: https://fullfact.org/crime/voter-id-2019/
Source: https://fullfact.org/crime/voter-id-2019/
Electoral Commission data from 2015 shows that 3,500,000 (3.5million) people do not have eligible ID. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf_file/Proof-of-identity-scheme-updated-March-2016.pdf#page=19
A standard adult passport costs £75.50 if you apply online and £85 via a paper form. https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees
For your first adult passport, you need your photograph verified. But it has to be by a person from an approved list of professions. GPs here in Lewisham borough no longer provide this service. What if you don't know someone doing a job on this list? https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications/accepted-occupations-for-countersignatories
What about the driving licence route? You first need to apply for a provisional licence costing £34-43. This is only the first step. https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence?step-by-step-nav=e01e924b-9c7c-4c71-8241-66a575c2f61f
You now need to either have someone to teach you, who will let you borrow their car for free, or you will need to take lessons. The AA lessons are £32.50 an hour in my local area.
Then you need to be good enough to pass the theory test and the driving test. Theory test currently £23, driving test £62 for weekdays, £75 for weekends. https://www.gov.uk/driving-test-cost
This is what the Electoral Commission had to say about the extremely small incidence of "voter fraud". https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/electoral-fraud-data/2019-electoral-fraud-data
