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Campaign win: Government to extend Voter ID and other electoral reforms

The government has announced plans to extend permitted forms of Voter ID, something Best for Britain has been campaigning for since the new rules were introduced.

Among other changes, the new legislation proposed today would:

  • Extend voter ID to include bank cards to help more people exercise their democratic right
  • Introduce tougher new rules to guard against foreign political interference and abuse of campaigners
  • Modernise UK democracy by allowing16 and 17-year-olds able to vote in next general election

Best for Britain has been campaigning against exclusionary voter ID rules since the Conservatives proposed it in September 2021. The last government's Elections Act also made it easier to funnel money into UK politics through a Limited Company.

Thanks to Best for Britain supporters, 3,000 people sent evidence to a consultation run by the Department of Levelling Up in June 2023, which put indisputable evidence of how many people were being denied their right to vote at the polling station.

Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said,

“Best for Britain has long championed a fairer, more inclusive voter ID system and we wholeheartedly welcome this decision. Our democracy is precious and these vital changes will enable more of us to have a say in the future of our country, while ensuring malign foreign actors face stronger barriers to threatening the sanctity of the polling booth.

“It’s also vital that political parties do much more to win the votes of the UK’s young people whose interests and futures are too often neglected in a system prioritising their grandparents. This is a brave choice set to benefit generations to come.”

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