PRESS RELEASE : Liberal Democrats Force Vote to Block Voter ID Laws [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 13 December 2022.

Today, Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords are using a rare Parliamentary procedure called a ‘Fatal Motion’ to try to block the new Voter ID regulations.

A ‘Fatal Motion’ is the strongest possible opposition we can have to legislation and now is absolutely the right time to use it.These regulations would mean that photo identification would be required in order to vote – something that millions of people in the UK do not have.

These changes are supposed to stop voter fraud, but in 2019 there was just one conviction for in-person voter fraud in the entire country. Liberal Democrat Council Leaders have also been raising these concerns with the Government. We cannot allow the Government to undermine the fundamental principles we stand for as Liberal Democrats.

They are nothing more than the Conservative Government’s thinly veiled attempt to suppress the votes of people across the UK.To beat the Conservatives in tonight’s vote, we need Labour to back our motion. If they support us then we will defeat the Government – but, worryingly, they’re yet to confirm that they’re going to come on side.

Whatever the case, they can’t stop us from standing up for what is right.

Tonight, we will oppose these harmful laws, and ensure these Trumpian measures have no place in British democracy.