LABOUR branded the Tories’ draconian plans to force voters to bring proof of ID to polling booths “one of the most stupid ideas ever” today after the government admitted it could cost more than £20 million to roll it out across Britain.

Labour joined the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) in demanding the government abandon plans for voter ID checks after the exorbitant cost was revealed in a Cabinet Office paper published before the summer recess.

The government has said it will plough ahead with the plans despite the price tag and Electoral Commission estimates showing that 1,036 people — 0.6 per cent of voters — were turned away from the five pilot areas in May’s local elections.

ERS chief executive Darren Hughes told the Independent: “We already knew that this policy was a solution looking for a problem, but now it looks like it will be an expensive one at that.

“The government’s draconian plan to force voters to prove themselves at the polling station could add as much as £20m to the cost of each election.

“That’s over £700,000 per allegation of polling station fraud last year – a lot of money to throw at unverified rumours, when we know there are real democratic problems to fix.

“There were just 28 allegations of personation — the type of fraud ID is meant to fix — in 2017, which resulted in a single conviction out of 45 million votes.

“One way or another, this policy is going to cost voters dearly. The government should abandon these costly, undemocratic plans and focus on boosting democratic engagement instead.”

Shadow minister for voter engagement Cat Smith said: “Wasting tens of millions of pounds on trying to make it harder for people to vote has got to be one of the most stupid ideas ever.

“At a time when our public services are in crisis and thousands of families are having to rely on foodbanks to stave off hunger, it is staggering that the Tories think that they can justify these undemocratic and unaffordable plans.”

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “Voters deserve to be confident that their vote is protected.

“We already ask that people prove who they are in order to collect a parcel from the post office, rent a car, or travel abroad — and we believe it is right to take the same approach to protect voting rights.”