Forgotten the law?

Boris Johnson turned away at polling station without ID

Boris Johnson during a trip to Canada.

(Bild: AP)

As British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson introduced the rule that you have to identify yourself at polling stations. But now the Conservative politician has apparently forgotten his own law. Johnson turned up at the polling station during the local elections on Thursday without an ID document, the Sky News channel reported on Thursday.

"Polling station staff were forced to turn the former prime minister away after he initially failed to follow the legislation he introduced during his time in office in Downing Street," it said. Johnson wanted to cast his vote in South Oxfordshire, where he lives with his family in a listed property. The vote there was for the post of Police and Crime Commissioner, a political post overseeing the local police force.

But vote still cast
Johnson's spokesman did not deny the report, but said the former prime minister had cast his vote. In the morning, the 59-year-old had called on X (formerly Twitter) to vote for the Conservative Party of his successor Rishi Sunak.

Under Johnson, the Elections Act was introduced in 2022 against strong criticism. The law requires voters to show an official photo ID such as a passport or driver's license. According to opponents, the regulation discriminates against poorer and older people as well as members of minorities, who are less likely to have ID.