Voter ID: Boris Johnson to make photo ID mandatory at polling stations, Queen's Speech reveals

Boris Johnson is poised to push through requirements for photo ID at polling stations – plans that critics warn are designed to suppress the ability of young people and disadvantaged groups to vote.

The prime minister faced immediate calls to ditch the “dangerous” proposal. The Electoral Reform Society warned: “Make no mistake – these plans will leave tens of thousands of legitimate voters voiceless.”

Campaigners accused the prime minister of taking action on an “imaginary” problem while ignoring more serious threats to British democracy, such as anonymous political ads, dodgy donations and fake news.

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Meanwhile, the 15-year limit on expats voting in general elections is to be lifted, allowing UK citizens living abroad to continue casting their ballots for the rest of their lives.

Traditionally this has been seen as a way of boosting the Conservative vote, though Mr Johnson risks a backlash from the million-plus UK citizens in the EU who overwhelmingly supported Remain in the 2016 referendum but were denied a vote.

Shape Created with Sketch. General election 2019: How the night unfolded Show all 27 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. General election 2019: How the night unfolded 1/27 Boris Johnson wins biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher ...while Labour records worst result since Clement Attlee PA 2/27 11.28pm - First result to be announced Labour holds Newcastle Central, albeit with a reduced majority, in the first result to be announced in the 2019 General Election PA 3/27 11.33pm - Conservatives gain Blyth Valley The Conservatives gain Blyth Valley, in the North East, from Labour in the first big upset of the night. The seat had been held by Labour since 1950 BBC 4/27 1.23am - Conservatives succeed in appealing to "Workington Man" The Tories won the North West constituency from Labour - the first time the seat has changed hands since 1979 Telegraph 5/27 1.27am - The SNP gains Rutherglen & Hamilton West from Labour, the first of six seats they take from Jeremy Corbyn's party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie with some her newly elected MP's at the Glasgow count Getty 6/27 1.50am - The Tories gain Wrexham from Labour The first time the party have ever held the seat ITV 7/27 1.52am - Labour wins Putney from the Conservatives The party's first gain of the night from the Tories BBC 8/27 1.55am - The SNP gains its first seat from the Tories Winning Angus Press Association Images 9/27 2.33am - Iain Duncan Smith holds on to seat The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith held on to his Chingford & Woodford Green seat, but saw his majority cut almost in half to just 1,262 Reuters 10/27 2.46am - Conservatives gain Tom Watson's old seat The Tories gained West Bromwich West from Labour in an 11.69% swing Getty 11/27 2.50am - Bishop Auckland, a Labour seat since 1935, becomes a Tory gain Dehenna Davison won with a majority of 7,962 CharlElmore/Twitter 12/27 2.54am - Chuka Umunna loses out to Tories The former Streatham MP who defected from Labour to the Independent Group before switching to the Liberal Democrats, lost out to the Conservative party in Cities of London & Westminster James Moreland/Twitter 13/27 2.58am - DUP's Westminster leader beaten Nigel Dodds was beaten by Sinn Fein's John Finucane in Belfast North Getty 14/27 3.15am - Tories lose seat to the Lib Dems Zac Goldsmith lost his Richmond Park seat to the Liberal Democrats, the party's first gain of the night PA 15/27 3.24am - Jeremy Corbyn announces he will not lead party in future elections The Labour leader was voted back in to the Islington North seat but described the results as "very disappointing" and said he would not lead the party in any future election campaign Reuters 16/27 3.32am - Labour's Caroline Flint loses her seat to the Tories The first time her party has not held the seat since 1922 Sky News 17/27 3.38am - The Tories beat Labour in Wakefield Mary Creagh losT out to Imran Ahmad-Khan in a Labour seat since 1932 Reuters 18/27 3.42am - Boris extendis his majority in Uxbridge & Ruislip South The Prime Minister said: "It does look as though this One Nation Conservative Government has been given a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done." Reuters 19/27 3.44am - The Tories gain Rother Valley and Sedgefield 3.44am - The Conservatives gained Rother Valley, a Labour seat since 1918, and Sedgefield, which was once held by former prime minister Tony Blair AFP via Getty 20/27 3.45am - Jo Swinson loses seat The Liberal Democrat leader lost her Dunbartonshire East seat to the SNP PA 21/27 4.25am - Conservatives retake Kensington from Labour The Tories took back the seat with a margin of 150 votes PA 22/27 5.15am - Major scalp for the Tories 5.15am - Dennis Skinner, Labour's Beast Of Bolsover loses his seat that had been red since 1950 AFP 23/27 6.08am - US President Donald Trump congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory 24/27 How the UK voted after 649 0f 650 seats Press Association Images 25/27 6.23am - Acting Lib Dem leaders announced 6.23am - Sir Ed Davey and Baroness Sal Brinton were announced as the joint acting leaders of the Liberal Democrats following Jo Swinson's defeat PA 26/27 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds arrive back at Downing Street AP 27/27 State of the parties Press Association Images 1/27 Boris Johnson wins biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher ...while Labour records worst result since Clement Attlee PA 2/27 11.28pm - First result to be announced Labour holds Newcastle Central, albeit with a reduced majority, in the first result to be announced in the 2019 General Election PA 3/27 11.33pm - Conservatives gain Blyth Valley The Conservatives gain Blyth Valley, in the North East, from Labour in the first big upset of the night. The seat had been held by Labour since 1950 BBC 4/27 1.23am - Conservatives succeed in appealing to "Workington Man" The Tories won the North West constituency from Labour - the first time the seat has changed hands since 1979 Telegraph 5/27 1.27am - The SNP gains Rutherglen & Hamilton West from Labour, the first of six seats they take from Jeremy Corbyn's party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie with some her newly elected MP's at the Glasgow count Getty 6/27 1.50am - The Tories gain Wrexham from Labour The first time the party have ever held the seat ITV 7/27 1.52am - Labour wins Putney from the Conservatives The party's first gain of the night from the Tories BBC 8/27 1.55am - The SNP gains its first seat from the Tories Winning Angus Press Association Images 9/27 2.33am - Iain Duncan Smith holds on to seat The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith held on to his Chingford & Woodford Green seat, but saw his majority cut almost in half to just 1,262 Reuters 10/27 2.46am - Conservatives gain Tom Watson's old seat The Tories gained West Bromwich West from Labour in an 11.69% swing Getty 11/27 2.50am - Bishop Auckland, a Labour seat since 1935, becomes a Tory gain Dehenna Davison won with a majority of 7,962 CharlElmore/Twitter 12/27 2.54am - Chuka Umunna loses out to Tories The former Streatham MP who defected from Labour to the Independent Group before switching to the Liberal Democrats, lost out to the Conservative party in Cities of London & Westminster James Moreland/Twitter 13/27 2.58am - DUP's Westminster leader beaten Nigel Dodds was beaten by Sinn Fein's John Finucane in Belfast North Getty 14/27 3.15am - Tories lose seat to the Lib Dems Zac Goldsmith lost his Richmond Park seat to the Liberal Democrats, the party's first gain of the night PA 15/27 3.24am - Jeremy Corbyn announces he will not lead party in future elections The Labour leader was voted back in to the Islington North seat but described the results as "very disappointing" and said he would not lead the party in any future election campaign Reuters 16/27 3.32am - Labour's Caroline Flint loses her seat to the Tories The first time her party has not held the seat since 1922 Sky News 17/27 3.38am - The Tories beat Labour in Wakefield Mary Creagh losT out to Imran Ahmad-Khan in a Labour seat since 1932 Reuters 18/27 3.42am - Boris extendis his majority in Uxbridge & Ruislip South The Prime Minister said: "It does look as though this One Nation Conservative Government has been given a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done." Reuters 19/27 3.44am - The Tories gain Rother Valley and Sedgefield 3.44am - The Conservatives gained Rother Valley, a Labour seat since 1918, and Sedgefield, which was once held by former prime minister Tony Blair AFP via Getty 20/27 3.45am - Jo Swinson loses seat The Liberal Democrat leader lost her Dunbartonshire East seat to the SNP PA 21/27 4.25am - Conservatives retake Kensington from Labour The Tories took back the seat with a margin of 150 votes PA 22/27 5.15am - Major scalp for the Tories 5.15am - Dennis Skinner, Labour's Beast Of Bolsover loses his seat that had been red since 1950 AFP 23/27 6.08am - US President Donald Trump congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory 24/27 How the UK voted after 649 0f 650 seats Press Association Images 25/27 6.23am - Acting Lib Dem leaders announced 6.23am - Sir Ed Davey and Baroness Sal Brinton were announced as the joint acting leaders of the Liberal Democrats following Jo Swinson's defeat PA 26/27 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds arrive back at Downing Street AP 27/27 State of the parties Press Association Images

Proposals for voter ID sparked howls of outrage when they were included in October’s Queen’s Speech, with Labour accusing the government of trying to rig the result of the next general election.

A trial of the scheme in local elections this year saw around 800 people turned away from polling stations.

As in October, the government has attempted to allay concerns that the poor will be priced out of voting, by confirming plans for a new free-of-charge “local electoral identity document” for those without passports or driving licences.

But ERS director of policy and research Jess Garland said: “When millions of people lack photo ID, these plans risk raising the drawbridge to huge numbers of marginalised voters.

“Despite the efforts of experts and campaigners, government have so far sat on their hands in the face of the actual threats to electoral integrity – anonymous ‘dark ads’, dodgy donations and disinformation. Yet now, just days after securing a majority, the government now seeks to invest in fighting an imaginary problem.

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“Make no mistake – these plans will leave tens of thousands of legitimate voters voiceless. Ministers should focus on combating the real threats to our democracy, rather than suppressing voters’ rights.

“The government has no examples to justify this ‘show your papers’ policy. There is simply no evidence of widespread impersonation. Simply put, ministers must think again and withdraw this dangerous proposal.”

The move forms part of a wider reform of arrangements for voting, also including the tightening of rules around the use of postal votes, following years of allegations from Tory MPs that the system was being abused.

Campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes, and a new power will limit the number of postal votes any individual can hand in.

Voters will have to renew their registration to vote by post every three years, rather than remaining on the list indefinitely.

And individuals will be banned from acting as proxy to more than two other voters, regardless of their relationship.

People unable to get to the polling station – whether because of disability, temporary illness or being away from home – can arrange for someone else to act as their proxy to vote on their behalf. Currently, there is an exemption to the two-proxy vote limit for those casting votes on behalf of close relations.

A drive by Remain supporters saw more than 1,000 proxy votes cast in last week’s election on behalf of expats who did not trust the postal system to get their ballot papers in on time.