Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Turned Away from Polling Station for Not Bringing Proper ID

Published: 03 May 2024 at 09:43

Politics

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station in South Oxfordshire for forgetting to bring proper identification to vote, despite having introduced a voter ID requirement in 2022. He returned later with the necessary paperwork and cast his vote. Critics of the voter ID law argued it could disenfranchise parts of the electorate, particularly those with disabilities and from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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Boris Johnson turned away from polling station for forgetting ID, sparking discussion on voter ID laws and veteran ID cards

Boris Johnson, former PM, was denied entry to a polling station in South Oxfordshire for forgetting his ID, which is required by a voter ID law he introduced in 2022. This incident highlighted issues with the voter ID laws and the exclusion of veteran ID cards. Veterans Affairs minister Johnny Mercer apologized for veterans being turned away and vowed to work towards allowing veteran ID cards for voting. Critics argue that voter ID laws disproportionately affect certain groups and could discourage voter turnout in general elections.

Boris Johnson Turned Away from Polling Station for Lack of ID

Former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson was initially turned away from his local polling station for not having acceptable photo ID but returned later to vote in South Oxfordshire. New rules requiring photo ID to vote were introduced by Mr Johnson's government in the Elections Act 2022. About 14,000 people were unable to vote in last year's local elections in England due to the new rules. The government is considering adding veterans' ID cards as a valid form of voter identification. Voter Authority Certificates are available as a free document for those without accepted photo ID.

Boris Johnson (Wikipedia)

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer. He was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously was Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 2001 to 2008 and Uxbridge and South Ruislip from 2015 to 2023.Johnson attended Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford in his youth; and he was elected president of the Oxford Union in 1986. In 1989, he began writing for The Daily Telegraph, and from 1999 to 2005 he was the editor of The Spectator. He became a member of the shadow cabinet of Michael Howard in 2001 and later, after Howard resigned, he became a member of David Cameron's shadow cabinet. He was elected Mayor of London in 2008 and resigned from the House of Commons to focus his attention on the mayoralty. He was re-elected mayor in 2012, but did not run for re-election in 2016. At the 2015 general election he was elected MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Johnson was a prominent figure in the Brexit campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum. After the referendum, Prime Minister Theresa May appointed him foreign secretary. He resigned from the position in 2018 in protest at both the Chequers Agreement and May's approach to Brexit.Johnson succeeded May as prime minister. He re-opened Brexit negotiations with the European Union and in early September he prorogued Parliament; the Supreme Court later ruled the action to have been unlawful. After agreeing to a revised Brexit withdrawal agreement but failing to win parliamentary support, Johnson called a snap general election to be held in December 2019, which the Conservative Party won. During Johnson's premiership, the government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing various emergency powers to mitigate its impact and approved a nationwide vaccination programme. He also responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russia and authorising foreign aid and weapons shipments to Ukraine. In the Partygate scandal it was found that numerous parties had been held at 10 Downing Street during national COVID-19 lockdowns, and COVID-19 social distancing laws were breached by 83 individuals, including Johnson, who in April 2022 was issued with a fixed penalty notice. The publishing of the Sue Gray report in May 2022 and a widespread sense of dissatisfaction led in June 2022 to a vote of confidence in his leadership amongst Conservative MPs, which he won. In July 2022, revelations over his appointment of Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip of the party while knowing of allegations of sexual misconduct against him led to a mass resignation of members of his government and to Johnson announcing his resignation as prime minister. He was succeeded by Liz Truss but remained in the House of Commons as a backbencher until he resigned in June 2023, days before the Privileges Committee investigation on his conduct unanimously found that he had lied to the Commons on numerous occasions.Johnson is seen by many as a controversial figure in British politics. His supporters have praised him for being humorous, witty, and entertaining, with an appeal reaching beyond traditional Conservative Party voters, making him an electoral asset to the party. Conversely, his critics have accused him of lying, elitism, cronyism and bigotry. As prime minister, his supporters praised him for "getting Brexit done", overseeing the UK's COVID-19 vaccination programme, which was amongst the fastest in the world, and being one of the first world leaders to offer humanitarian support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the country. His tenure also saw several controversies and scandals, and is viewed as the most scandalous premiership of modern times by historians and biographers alike. Johnson has commonly been described as a one-nation conservative, and political commentators have characterised his political style as opportunistic, populist and pragmatic.