THE Tory government’s voter ID scheme is a “threat to democracy,” Unison has charged, after official figures showed only 1 per cent of those without valid documents have signed up to alternatives.  

An estimated two million people lack accepted forms of identification — including passports and driving licences — but only 20,000 have so far applied for a government-issued voter authority certificate.

The widely condemned Elections Act 2022 means that those without documents will be unable to vote in future local polls across England or in British general elections. 

Ministers claimed the move was needed to combat vote fraud, but ex-health secretary Matt Hancock was forced to admit in 2021 that there were just six cases amid tens of millions of ballots cast at the last general election. 

Campaigners warn the legislation will disproportionately hit younger and black and ethnic minority voters, who tend to vote for parties other than the Conservatives.

Unison policy officer David Arnold blasted the “blatant piece of voter suppression” and urged members to be aware of the change.

He said: “We can’t allow the government to get away with this latest threat to our democracy.”