Rishi Sunak says voter ID could rock council elections as 118,000 people demand a U-turn

Activists warn tens of thousands of people will be left out of local elections next month by controversial new measures

Richard Burgon, Baroness Jones, Tom Brake, Alistair Carmichael and Sarah Green deliver a petition to No 10 (

Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Rishi Sunak was told to drop his controversial voter ID decision by almost 120,000 people.

Activists warn that tens of thousands of people will find themselves excluded from next month's local elections by the controversial new measures.

New rules in England mean people must now show photo ID when going to their local polling station.

But the government admits that around two million people do not have the proper documents, while it is estimated that a quarter of voters are not even aware of the change.

A petition signed by 118,000 people has been presented to Downing Street calling on ministers to scrap the plan, which it is feared will benefit the Tories when voters go to the polls.

Former Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, who leads the Democracy Unlocked campaign group, told the Mirror: 'We believe there is a real risk that tens of thousands of people will turn up at the polls on next month and be turned away.

"It's a threat to our democracy. If only one person is turned away, it's bad.

Activists warn that the measures will benefit the Tories (

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"Municipal elections can be decided by one, two or three votes. If a polling station refuses 20 or 30 people, it could make all the difference."

He called on the government to spend the £180million it has earmarked for the program on voter registration.

And Green Party counterpart Baroness Jenny Jones said: 'It is clearly designed to stop people voting if they don't vote Conservative. The government is scared. It will have a huge impact'< /p>

An elderly person's bus pass can be used but, confusingly, a young person's train pass cannot. Campaigners say the criteria were chosen to suppress the participation of young people who are more likely to vote for Labour.

Mr. Sunak claimed the politics under fire would help ensure the elections are 'high integrity processes'