Burnham Speeds Up Voter ID Changes: Bank Cards Would Count, and Critics Say "Scrap Photo ID"

A post from @BasilTheGreat says "Andy Burnham is set to scrap photo ID checks to vote" and adds: "We all know exactly why he is doing this." It follows The Telegraph's headline of 10 October, "Burnham rushes to axe photo ID checks at elections". The Telegraph reports that the prime minister is speeding up changes to the election rules, alongside donation rules and votes at 16, amid speculation about an early general election.

What the bill actually does

The changes sit in the Representation of the People Bill, which the Commons passed at third reading on 2 September by 411 votes to 102. It is now in the House of Lords. The government's own policy summary says the bill will let UK-issued bank cards count as voter ID in Great Britain, as long as the card shows the voter's name as on the register. Photo ID such as a passport or driving licence stays valid, and the summary is explicit:

“While we believe it is appropriate to retain the requirement to show ID to protect electors from the risk of personation, the current voter ID rules are too restrictive.”

— UK government policy summary on the Representation of the People Bill, updated 20 May 2026

The government says its research shows the share of the population without accepted ID would fall from 2–4% to under 1% if bank cards are included. The same bill also tightens digital ID, requiring a visual check such as a hologram or a live clock. The Electoral Commission has raised concerns in its briefing on the bill that bank cards are non-photo ID and harder for polling staff to verify.

Burnham's old position

The move matches what Burnham said before he became prime minister. In April 2024, as Greater Manchester mayor, he told a hustings:

“We've survived without ID at elections for decades – I personally think it's a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

— Andy Burnham, then Greater Manchester mayor, April 2024

He added that photo ID "deters young people and marginalised groups" and that he would argue for removing it. Critics, including the poster, read the new plan as the first step to doing that. The bill as drafted does not remove the ID requirement, and the government says it keeps it to protect voters from personation.

In short, the headline claim is stronger than the text of the bill. Whether the Lords amend the bank-card change, or ministers go further later, is the open question.