Queens speech

I can't see a problem with asking for IID when voting although there is not much voter fraud now but looking into the future that may not be the case

What is an ID card for, please? When will we need to use it?

Not including the voting things, which have been done to death upthread.

What is the objection to an ID card ...when living in Spain I had one (complete with finger prints) and also living in France. I think they are an EXCELLENT idea (even though I don't need more cards cluttering up my handbag !!) the only proviso I would want is an encryption of some kind to make it hard for fraudsters to print them. As for Democracy ......the UK is no longer a democracy from the definition being 'By the will of the people, For the people, By the people ......Boris is loving it ............

Mamardoit

I don't see the fuss about voters needing to show some form of ID. Didn't Blair want to bring in ID cards? I had no objection to that either.

Any adult who doesn't have a passport or driving licence needs to be provided with an ID card free of charge. What's the problem. We all managed to get given a covid vaccine card it shouldn't be too difficult.

A bit of common sense at last

Photo ID for voting - so how does that work with the increasing push towards postal votes then?

Calendargirl

FPTP- ?

First Past the Post....the voting system in the UK as opposed to Proportional Representation....used in Scotland for example.

No law-abiding citizen here objects to being asked politely to prove their identity or feels it and infringement of their personal liberty.

Or

"If you haven't done anything wrong there's nothing to worry about"

I don't understand why you are bothered about voter's IDs.

Are you really saying that formerly anyone could go into a polling station in the UK and state that she was Mrs Jane Smith of 10 Main Street or Mr John Brown of 19 Bank Street and cast a vote without anyone asking for their social security number?

In Denmark we have to produce the notification sent to us in our name telling us which polling station to go to, then someone checks that we are on the voter's roll, while another official checks our social security number and date of birth.

France, Germany and Austria have personal identity cards that citizens are required to carry on them at all times, and produce on demand from the police. We don't hence the cumbersome rigmarole at the polls.

No law-abiding citizen here objects to being asked politely to prove their identity or feels it and infringement of their personal liberty.

On a slightly different note my heart went out to the Queen. I think understandably she is very down and her sparkle has gone since the death of Prince Philip and it must have been very hard for her to deliver that speech. ID cards don't bother me, I would welcome them actually.

Daffydilly

I'm aware I'm going against the trend of this post but am I right in thinking that the OP is against the animal sentience bill? If so, why? I'm not being difficult, I'm simply confused.

I am fully supportive of this part of the Queens speech.

Of course it will take time to implement.

ID cards should be free for those on low-income or receiving universal credit / in work benefits.

For the majority of those who have not already got a form of photographic ID a nominal charge would not be unreasonable.

(I haven’t got a bus pass (too young) and do not know anyone who has, but I believe a photo is needed for them, could they be used as a means of ID going forward I wonder?)

I'm aware I'm going against the trend of this post but am I right in thinking that the OP is against the animal sentience bill? If so, why? I'm not being difficult, I'm simply confused.

We do use "The Upper House" if you want an ungendered title grannygranby.

I'm not sure that would currently feel any more comfortable. Personally, I think we could have an Upper House that was all elected but we would then need a Parliament for the English.

Calendargirl

FPTP- ?

First Past The Post

HillyN- I for one do not object to having ID cards- as most other EU countries do. But the point is, in the UK we do not have an ID card system- it would take a couple of years to implement, and vast sums of money.

So either we do, or we don't Fact is that there is a very large number of people in the UK who do not have a passport, nor do they have a driving licence. And that insisting on such would, until a proper system is put in place and Goverment funded, discriminate hugely some sections of the population and ensure that large sections are unable to vote.

It is massively unfair, and totally undemocratic. If ID is going to be requested to be able to do our civic duty and vote, then it has to be done properly.

Urmstongran

Good heavens, I need ID to collect shopping at Click & Collect so why on earth should I be allowed to vote without it?

The issue is the type of ID - there are so many people without photo ID which is generally a passport or a driving licence. What would happen with proxy voting, I wonder ...

Another one here who doesn't understand why anyone would object to ID cards (and yes, I did read Maizie's link). I have had my driving licence so long that it doesn't have my photo on it; I do have a passport and bus pass though. However if I didn't I would think an ID card would be very useful.
Has anyone considered that people might be put off voting, not by having to produce ID, but because no-one can trust the candidates to do what they promise. This applies to all parties now, I believe, and makes it very hard to know how to vote in any sort of election.

So good old Boris and his cronies have gone full Trump. The government is a disgrace to a true democracy.

Do you think that there is anything the Queen would refuse to say on her own behalf? and isn't it about time the House of Lords was ungendered? Perhaps it could be called the House of Privilege. or the House of the Uncommon. I'm glad she has announced the sentient animal act...perhaps she will stop encouraging the younger members to hunt and shoot for fun.

I wa# so9 shocked to see the election results! Vot8ng the c9nservatives deeper and deeper in.
Why?
Get them out. The chinless w9nder haven’t ever d9 e anyth8ng f9r th3 ord8nary man,

Please don’t hold Wales up as a paragon of democracy, Varian. We were saddled with a hugely expensive duplicate chamber on the basis of a small majority in a minority turnout, and are now governed by a ridiculous number of paid layers of governing; parish and county councillors, members of Senedd and MPs not to mention police commissioners , all taking a slice of funding before it gets used for any services. Areas served by members outside the sitting party have been disadvantaged ever since the Senedd was established , with no option of a further referendum to get rid of it in the pipeline unlike Scotland, who need to take note of our dire situation while they still can. And now people from abroad are allowed to vote, how can this be allowed? I can’t just go abroad and go vote for their government (not that I would want to). I also have reservations about the very young voters, they do not earn to pay for services they are able to vote to influence, and are potentially unduly influenced by their parents and teachers before they have any real life experience. Though I know they get politics classes in School these days. Perhaps you should have to earn the right to vote

MaizieD

^Would remainers have been happy to pay (without choice) for everyone in the country to have a pro leave leaflet promoting the benefits of leaving and the awful consequences of remaining?^

It would have been an awfully slight pamphlet

I reiterate. The pamphlet put out by the government was supposed to be a pros & cons thing for people to make their own minds up. Like we had in 1973 when we voted on remaining in the EEC.

As usual, being a tory government they got it completely wrong, though the cons. have turned out to be remarkably prescient, apart from the fact that they didn't happen overnight.

But Ted Heath lied to us

You have to take id when you register with a GP, access a pub to be served alcohol, etc, etc. Somehow, young, poor and disadvantaged people manage that. Personally, I'm all for ID cards for everybody issued when you are issued with your NI number.
I don't doubt that there is voter fraud on a larger scale than has been discovered but I don't suppose that it is on a wide enough scale to make a substantial difference.

Why do people so object to IDs? A passport is an ID, as is a driving licence, as is a credit card, as is a store card, and I would imagine most people have at least one of these.

Sorry have not had time to read all the posts but I undersand that the IDs will be free? I don't see why they shouldn't be linked to the Electoral Register and/or the ".gov" sites who already hold photos for driving licences, passports and bus passes. Our last local authority took a photo for our bus passes in their offices, so no cost, though Covid has meant we have had to send an electronic copy to our new local authority.
I have no objection to being asked to have an ID document, they're very useful. I really don't understand the objections to IDs unless you don't want to be identified for some criminal reason, it's common in much of the democratic world.