On 27th April 2022, the House of Lords debated further amendments to the Elections Bill following Commons amendments. A vote was held on one amendment, in which a Bishop took part.
Votes: Elections Bill
Tag: Elections Bill 2022
Votes: Elections Bill
On 25th April 2022, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Elections Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.
Elections Bill: Bishop of Coventry speaks about Voter ID
On 21st March 2022, the House of Lords debated the Elections Bill in committee. The Bishop of Coventry spoke in the debate:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I offer your Lordships an apology for not being able to contribute to Committee for all sorts of reasons, but I said at Second Reading that I would support amendments that introduced mitigating factors to reduce the risk of unintended exclusion, particularly for that group of people the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, referred to: those on lower incomes. There is real risk that that could happen through this immediate introduction of photo ID.
Continue reading “Elections Bill: Bishop of Coventry speaks about Voter ID”Elections Bill: Bishop of Leeds asks about Voter ID
On 21st March 2022, the House of Lords debated the Elections Bill in committee. The Bishop of Leeds asked a question regarding voter ID:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: What I am struggling to understand is this. There is a fundamental difference between belonging to an organisation—be it any political party—to which you opt to belong and for which you might be expected to provide ID, and being able to vote as a citizen of the country. Those are totally different things.
Continue reading “Elections Bill: Bishop of Leeds asks about Voter ID”Elections Bill: Bishop of Coventry questions necessity of photo ID
On 23rd February 2022, the House of Lords debated the Elections Bill in its second reading. The Bishop of Coventry spoke in the debate, highlighting potential risks of the introduction of photo ID for voters:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I too join in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Moore, for his subtle and penetrating speech. I do so as someone who originates from Sussex, albeit the western part.
I shall address just one aspect of this Bill—the introduction of photographic ID. Other noble Lords have already raised specific issues presented by this clause. I echo their concerns, and I question whether photo ID is consistent with the UK’s democratic heritage. The fundamental duty of government as we know it is to ensure that all citizens have access to the resources they need to play a full part in the democratic process. Any action that risks reducing democratic engagement, especially one which excludes a significant sector of society, needs the most careful consideration, and it should be based on very sound evidence.
Continue reading “Elections Bill: Bishop of Coventry questions necessity of photo ID”
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