Who is Gagging Tenants?

Khan is right - Tory voter ID plans gag the poorest.

But it’s not just in London. Here's what we can do about it'

On New Years’ Eve, Sadiq Kahn warned that a new wave of hard right populism could see Susan Hall in London’s City Hall. And the new requirement for voter identification at the ballot box might accelerate this trend. He’s right, but it’s not just London that is affected.

The voter identification requirements deliberately make it more difficult for those who traditionally support Labour, to vote.

After the 2019 General Election, IPSOS estimated how voters voted. Their results came as no surprise,

Labour had a 43 point lead among voters aged 18-24, but the biggest change was among 35-54 year olds, who saw a three point rise in the Conservatives’ vote share and 11 point fall for Labour.
There was a gender gap, with the Conservatives ahead of Labour by 15 points among men, and by nine points among women.
Among BME voters, Labour led the Conservatives by 64% to 20%, while among white voters the Conservatives led by 48% to 29%. However, Labour’s vote share fell a similar amount since 2017 among both groups, by 9 points and 10 points respectively.
Those living in rented housing were less likely to vote Labour - 45%, down 12% on the previous election.

The Voter Identification Regulations were introduced in 2022. Government claimed there was a danger of ‘personation’, that is, the electoral crime of pretending to be someone else to use their vote. So, how many personation crimes were prosecuted in 2022? None. How many allegations of personation in polling stations? 7, and no further action was taken in any of those cases because there was no evidence or insufficient evidence.

Prior to the last local elections, the Electoral Commission led a campaign to raise awareness of the need for identification. It subsequently reported that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to have photo ID than other groups. There was a below average level of awareness particularly among those who do not identify as White British (82% aware compared with 93% for white respondents).

On top of this the young, the unemployed, those who rent social housing are all less likely to have photo ID than the average person.

The reasons are plain, people who are younger, poorer, and less likely to own a car, are less likely to have a passport or driving licence. Compared to homeowners, tenants are more likely to move house frequently making it difficult to keep their photo ID up to date, and they may need to re-register to vote each time they move.

These new restrictions could have a chilling effect on voter turnout. Some may be reluctant to vote if they know that they may be turned away at the polling station for not having the correct ID.

What can be done?

Such overt gerrymandering undermines democracy so needs to be combated at every level. Every citizen should be encouraged to vote and Party members should be discussing at all forums how this can be achieved. ID can be a passport, a full or provisional driving licence. Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) cards, Blue badges, and some concessionary travel cards are also accepted. People without an existing acceptable form of voter ID can get a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC).

Some questions:

When is the Electoral Commission starting its information campaign?

How has the budget for the campaign changed from the last general election?
How is it targeting the people its research identified were less likely to be able to vote?

What can local government do now to promote turnout amongst unrepresented groups? Lewisham Councillors explored this some years ago.
Encouraging local newspapers to cover voter issues can increase turnout.
There are multiple resources in other, third party organisations that could creatively support deliberately disenfranchised tenants and other marginalised groups. At the very least there are opportunities through consumer/tenants groups and representatives to communicate the need for ID. Company newsletters could reduce endless self promotion and give space over to sharing for example, that More imaginative approaches could link ID supplied at tenancy sign up with the ID needed to vote.

There is more that can be done still time. An active discussion and exploration throughout the Party has the potential to not only help strengthen democracy, it might also prevent a wave of dangerous populism.

An edited version of this article appeared in LabourList on 30th January 2024

https://labourlist.org/2024/01/voter-id-laws-photo-card-election-electoral-commission/

Comments

Housing associations should freeze their rents now – or face tenant strikes

Housing association tenants are more likely to be suffering from social isolation, threats to employment and exposure to Covid-19 in poorly paid jobs. Few realise that they’re also facing a rent hike. This Monday, social landlords increased their rents by 2.7%. Little wonder that pressure is growing to suspend rent payments to ease financial pressures. In countries implementing a lockdown, those renting their home are becoming more vocal on the possibility of rent strikes. Pressure is mounting across the globe and there are demands in Boston and New York in the US, South Australia and Canada . In the UK, rent strikes are being discussed in numerous major cities, notably in Islington in the capital. In Cheltenham, estate agents shop windows have been graffitied with slogans such as “Can’t Pay? Don’t”. One area where there is a greater degree of influence over rents is in housing associations. Following nearly 50 years of subsidy, these are wealthy organisations. In England, t...

Shared Ownership - a housing market fix?

Shared Ownership has given homes to around 180,000 families and it’s claimed that it offers a third way, an opportunity to house many more at a lower cost, another tenure that broadens the landlord offer. Some housing association websites go further and claim “It’s about getting your foot on the housing ladder. It’s a great alternative to renting and perfect if you can’t afford to buy a house outright.” Really? Whilst housing associations like selling them, the experiences of the occupiers can be quite different. Higher entry costs, administrative charges, rents rising annually, plus the responsibility for all repairs can mean the worst of all worlds. Why do increasing numbers feel trapped in the tenure? “It’s a step on the ladder” , yet Cambridge University found ( 2012 ) that over 12 years only 27,908 had staircased to 100%, and in many rural areas freehold ownership is expressly prohibited. They concluded that many shared owners simply cannot afford to buy their property in fu...

Rents Hit Record Highs - it's time for controls

It’s time for an informed debate on rent controls. The laissez-faire, competitive market approach in the privately rented sector has demonstrably failed - as average private rents in Britain have climbed to record highs, renters are suffering and excessively high rents create a drain on the economy. Property website Rightmove has said that in May this year, the typical advertised rent outside London reached a record £1,316 a calendar month. In London it was £2,652 a month – almost three times the £894 asked for in north-east England. Rightmove said the average advertised rent outside London in May was an inflation-busting 7% higher than a year earlier. This leads those in the property industry with a vested interest to argue for an increase in supply. But it’s economically illiterate to believe that simply adding more privately rented housing will bring rents down. We need to look seriously at rent controls. Rent control policies vary widely across European countries, with ...

Opinion: Labour won’t deliver 300,000 new homes

Following the debate about how many houses are needed in the UK, industry-expert Peter Brown directs our attention to a topic this argument could be overshadowing. The debate around how many new homes are needed misjudges the big issue – a new Labour government will struggle to increase housing completions for sale and for rent. Public services are failing, satisfaction rates are at record lows and waiting lists are soaring. Focusing on hospitals, schools and the courts, the IPPR claimed that public services won’t return to acceptable levels of quality until the 2030s and that the post-election government will inherit one of the most challenging contexts of any government since the Second World War. In October, at the Labour Party conference Keir Starmer’s pledged 1.5 million homes over the next parliament and conference was told that a Labour government will “deliver the biggest boost in affordable and social housing for a generation”. Yet despite a ...

A National Scandal: Empty Homes and the Housing Crisis

Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home. Yet in England today, a growing number of people struggle to access this basic need. While hundreds of thousands of properties sit empty, the housing crisis deepens. A Growing Problem, a Missed Opportunity But there's a glimmer of hope. Studies show that repurposing empty properties could create up to 40,000 affordable homes within four years. It wouldn't solve everything, but it would offer a lifeline to countless individuals on the brink of homelessness. This is a wasted opportunity. No one should face homelessness when solutions exist. Families with children are crammed into single rooms, forced to prepare for work in drafty cars, or uprooted from jobs and support networks due to a lack of affordable options. The government's inaction on empty properties is unacceptable. Long-term empty homes, vacant for over six months, have skyrocketed to over 248,000 – a 24% increase in just six years. This coincides with recor...

Our Housing Crisis: a tale of broken trust

Complaints to the Housing Ombudsman are on an inexorable rise , revealing a festering issue at the core of housing organisations. These repeated failures have seeped into the national consciousness, catching the attention of both the media and concerned citizens. Even politicians, typically ensnared in their own agendas, have been forced to take notice. We yearn for housing to be a central theme during this general election - a #planforhousing that couldn’t be ignored. And the public? Well, they’ve noticed too. Over the past few years, a relentless stream of reports has flooded in, painting a grim picture of subpar living conditions. In this financial year alone, the Housing Ombudsman has censured 48 social housing organisations with the allegation of severe maladministration. The Secretary of State has taken notice, penning stern letters to each offender. But this crisis didn’t emerge overnight. Yes, factors like right-to-buy policies, chronic underfunding, aging housing stock, and th...

How to issue a bond: nine tips for housing associations

Make time This path is so well trodden it is difficult to see over the sides of the trench. The legal documentation has developed over many years so there is virtually no opportunity to change it. In addition, investors need to know heir investment is secure and so satisfactory title must be demonstrated. Depending on the type of organisation and the quality of your records, this can be inordinately difficult. There is no shortcut, so start early. Do your homework The financial world is just that, a different world. Investors will know more about you than you do about them. Most are knowledgeable about housing associations and what they do not know, their in-house analysts will discover. Any credit rating (and Moody’s dominates the market) will be used to verify their analysis and may give comfort that their understanding is correct. And comfort gives confidence. Confidence can lead to a lower rate of interest – but don’t bank on it. Learn the language Coupons aren’t supermarket money-...

This Ole House

Published in Inside Housing: https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/this-ole-house-42273

Storm clouds are looming over Britain’s housing market

Government intervention has inflated house prices to unsustainable levels; a crash is now predicted - and those on lowest incomes will suffer. The Conservative ideological obsession with home ownership, and antipathy to social housing, blinds them to the need for a balanced housing market that supports the needs of both the poorest and of business. Help to Buy was exposed in June 2019 by the National Audit Office (NAO) and excoriated on Left Foot Forward. It’s worth repeating some of that analysis again, Around three-fifths of those using Help to Buy could have bought a property without it, over 8,000 of those using the scheme had household incomes over £100,000 and more than 20,000 had incomes over £80,000. 1 in 5 of those using Help to Buy aren’t even first-time buyers. It’s boosted the profits of Britain’s biggest property developers. And of course since then, the scheme has been extended to 31st March next year. The NAO noted then that the government had indicated that it ...

Housing: creative solutions

Search This Blog