Spellar slams Tories over 'disinformation'
A Labour MP has accused the Government of using tactics 'straight out of the Donald Trump disinformation playbook' over plans to make voters carry identification at the ballot box.
Warley MP John Spellar said the Conservatives proposals would suppress voter participation and were born out of a bid to 'engineer panic over voter fraud'.
In a heated exchange during Cabinet Office questions, Mr Spellar said the tactics were 'straight out of the Donald Trump disinformation playbook' and added: “The Government is pursuing policy with zero evidence to support it.
"The Tories are irresponsibly trying to engineer panic over voter fraud and to use it to supress voter registration and turnout.
“The Government’s plans for Voter ID put additional and unnecessary barriers for ordinary people keen to get out and vote.
"We should be encouraging voters to participate in our democracy, not creating making it more difficult.”
Tory MP Chris Skidmore branded Mr Spellar's intervention a 'rant' and said the plans were backed by the Electoral Commission and electoral authorities.
Since 2010, 2,394 alleged cases of electoral fraud have been reported to the Electoral Commission.
