Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting voter ID

02 May 2024 , 19:32

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Boris Johnson apparently forgot about the voter ID rules he brought in when trying to cast his ballot (Image: Getty Images)

Bungling Boris Johnson was turned away from his local polling station as he didn't have the right ID, the Mirror understands.

The former Prime Minister fell foul of the voter ID rules introduced when he was in Downing Street when he tried to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire today. Polling station staff initially turned him away as he only had an envelope with his name and address on it, according to a source.

Voters must show photo ID like a passport or a driving licence to vote under heavily-criticised rules that Mr Johnson pushed through. Mr Johnson is believed to have returned to vote with the correct ID later.

His spokesman did not deny that he failed to bring his ID, saying only: "Mr Johnson voted Conservative." Earlier in the day, Mr Johnson tweeted: "The polls are now open. Vote Conservative today!"

It's not the first time he has broken his own rules. The ex-PM was fined by police in 2022 for attending a surprise lockdown birthday party in Downing Street in June 2020.

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Police probing the Partygate scandal also handed fines to his wife Carrie and Rishi Sunak over the impromptu gathering in the Cabinet room while the country was still in lockdown.

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Mr Johnson shelled out £3.8million last year for a Grade II listed Oxfordshire manor house for his wife Carrie and their young family. The nine-bed country pile also boasts a swimming pool and a three-sided moat.

Mr Johnson has mostly kept out of frontline politics since he was ousted by his own MPs in 2022, paving the way for Liz Truss's disastrous 49-day stint in No10. But he was wheeled out this week to support Tory mayors Ben Houchen, in Tees Valley, and Andy Street, in the West Midlands, in their battles to cling on.

In a swipe at Rishi Sunak, Mr Johnson told voters in the West Midlands to "forget about the Government" and put their trust in Mr Street.

It comes amid ongoing criticism over the Government's decision to force people to show ID to cast their votes. Electoral Commission data found that 0.25% of people - approximately 14,000 - who went to a polling station in last year's local elections were unable to vote due to ID requirements.

Lizzy Buchan