Government must abandon its cynical anti-democratic ID idea

n Boris Johnson wants voters to prove their ID to vote (Metro, Wed). How long will it take to check polling station ID cards? If it takes one minute per voter, the tenth voter in line will have to wait ten extra minutes to vote. The 60th in line adds an hour. Who can do this on their way to work? How long will elderly voters have to stand in line outside the polling stations and will councils supply chairs, water plus possible medical assistance? All to address a ‘problem’ that does not exist. And we pay for this through increased council tax.

The government thinks this won’t deter Conservative voters as much as their opponents. After spending an hour or more queuing to vote due to the government’s pointless bureaucracy, I’ll hardly feel like voting for them. They must drop this cynical, anti-democratic nonsense immediately.

Barry Tighe, via email n ‘If I am ever asked to produce an ID card, I will take that card out of my wallet and physically eat it’ – Boris Johnson, 2014.

Johnson’s is the first British government since 1832 that has sought to restrict rather than expand the vote. Once, only people with a certain level of income could vote. Johnson is taking us back to that time.

The number of UK citizens who don’t own a passport or a driving licence? 11 million. Alleged voter fraud rate? 0.000058 per cent. Are we supposed to believe voter ID is anything but an attempt to stop the poor voting? Matt Hancock says even six counts of in-person fraud is six too many. Wait until he finds out there are five million children in poverty in the UK. If the Tories wanted to level up, voting suppression would not be on the agenda – that way a one-party state and fascism lies ahead. Julie Partridge, London