On the road to a ‘Papers Please’ society

In December, Boris Johnson suffered a huge Conservative rebellion. Nearly one hundred Conservative MPs voted against introducing Covid vaccination certificates for large venues in England.

Common arguments amongst Conservative MPs against Covid vaccination certificates were that requiring people to produce Covid passports to enter venues infringes people’s civil liberties and discriminates against certain groups who are less likely to have these documents.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton said he opposed the certificates because "we do not want a society where we ask for papers and deprive people of their liberty”. Similarly, Conservative MP Steve Baker has said he opposes introducing Covid passports because it is a “discriminatory policy” and will “implement a checkpoint society”.

Conservative rebels concerned about living in a ‘papers please’ society, need to take a closer look at the Elections Bill. This requires voters to show ID at polling stations in the UK before casting their vote.

Yet, there was no massive Conservative rebellion against the Elections Bill. Every single Conservative MP voted for the Elections Bill in its Second Reading in the Commons.

It is a shame that their concern for civil liberties so far does not extend to protecting everyone’s democratic right to vote in elections. 

Research shows that the requirement for photo ID at polling stations will make it harder for millions of people to cast their vote. 

According to the Electoral Commission, 3.5 million people in the UK do not have any photo ID. The equality watchdog has warned that certain groups of people are less likely to own Photo ID, including young and old people and people with disabilities. 

That’s why, alongside Open Britain and Fair Vote UK, we have written to all the Conservative MPs who rebelled against Covid vaccination certificates.  We have asked them to vote against voter ID and a ‘papers please’ society during the Report Stage of the Elections Bill on the 17th of January. 

This would be consistent with the approach they have taken previously on Covid passports.  

Is it too much therefore to expect a positive response?