Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station this evening after forgetting to bring photo ID.
The legislation requiring voters to bring a form of identification to vote was introduced by Johnson himself.
The former prime minister had been trying to cast his vote in the local elections in South Oxfordshire earlier today.
Elections are taking place in 107 local authorities across the UK, with 2,636 seats being contested.
Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station this evening after forgetting to bring photo ID
PA
Speaking about the new legislation in 2021, Johnson said: “What we want to do is protect democracy, the transparency and the integrity of the electoral process.
"And I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask first-time voters to produce some evidence of identity.”
The Elections Act came into effect in 2022.
Tory MP for Ipswich Tom Hunt was forced to ask local members to act as his "emergency proxy" after he found out he had no appropriate ID to vote in the elections.
In a Whatsapp conversation seen by ITV, Hunt asked for help from members after what he dubbed a “bit of drama”, saying: “Turns out I have no appropriate ID to vote tomorrow”.
He added: "However. There is an emergency proxy option if you lose your ID. Deadline tomorrow. Who would like to do the honours?"
The Electoral Commission warned that the new voting regulations would make it harder for people to vote.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan claimed the restrictions were "designed to rig the next election" by stopping younger and marginalised people from casting their votes.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Conservative Party is braced for a bruising night tonight, with the party trailing more than 20 points behind Labour in the polls.
The Tories could lose up to half of the 1,000 council seats they are defending.
