New voter ID rules slammed as ‘attack on working class’ by senior Barnsley councillor

Anyone wishing to vote in Barnsley’s local elections in May will be required to show photo ID at polling stations, which is part of a national government bid to counter fraud.

Accepted forms of ID include a passport, drivers’ licence, and a number of concessionary travel passes.

During the council’s last cabinet meeting, Councillor James Higginbottom said that it was a “sad state of affairs” and slammed the rule change “shameful”.

“As a point of principle in a democracy, we should be focusing on making it easier for people to access their right to vote,” Coun Higginbottom told the meeting.

“This does not do that. This makes it harder for people, particularly those on lower incomes, working class people and the most vulnerable in our society.

“That is a shameful state of affairs, and the fact that this Conservative government bringing this in in a clear attack on working class communities in an attempt to disenfranchise them is shameful.”

Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, leader of the council, added that his “big worry” was for young people who are less likely to have a form of valid ID.

He said: “The danger with this is that it’s young people that get disenfranchised from it, and we don’t want to see that.”

Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either online or by completing a paper application form and sending it to Barnsley Council’s Electoral Services team.