This is long overdue. For too long elections and referenda in this country have been woefully exposed to electoral fraud. This is particularly true in areas with high concentrations of south Asian people, such as Tower Hamlets (a prime example). In places like Birmingham and the northern mill towns it is a common assertion that 'even dead Muslims vote'.
When the government announced the ID scheme there were howls from the opposition. With Labour being the chief beneficiary of such fraud it's not difficult to see why they disapproved. Of course they couldn't argue on this basis, so they made tenuous accusations of 'discrimination'. They've even said voter ID would be 'undemocratic' and prevent people voting. The idea is that it will prevent people voting - twice or more!
Voter ID laws in the United States met with similar opposition from the Democratic party. Why? Because like our own Labour party, the Democrats are the main beneficiary of electoral fraud within certain communities.
The British government has said that local authorities would provide ID to those who do not have the required documentation - free of charge. This has not allayed Labour's resistance, but it was not Labour that brought the legal challenge this week. Not directly anyway.
Neil Coughlan crowdfunded the challenge and raised over £30,000 to do so. His campaign has won direct praise from the Labour party and his Twitter account is followed by several Labour MPs including Jeremy Corbyn himself. Neil also follows the Facebook page of his local Labour party (see below). Then there is Neil's promo video, a professional job that is hard to imagine he produced himself.
 |
| The Facebook pages followed by Neil Coughlan |
It's highly unlikely we've heard the last of this story, but one thing is for sure - it's not democracy that Labour are looking to defend. Far from it.
