GOVERNMENT plans to make photo identification compulsory for people to vote have been welcomed by the MP who warned in 2012 of the dangers of widespread electoral fraud in East Lancashire.

Pendle Tory Andrew Stephenson held a special Westminster debate on the issue seven years ago.

Following a trial of the system at May’s local elections in the borough, this week’s Queen's Speech setting out the government’s legislative programme included extending it nationwide.

In recent years Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle have featured on the Electoral Commission’s list of council areas at ‘high risk’ of vote fraud.

Under the plan, approved photographic ID would include passports and driving licences.

In May, 284 voters in Pendle were turned away from polling stations for failing to have the correct documents ­— 101 did not return.

Mr Stephenson said: “2019 was the first year in over a decade that elections in Pendle were free from accusations of electoral fraud. That is due to the successful voter ID trial we took part in. I welcome that in future, the whole country will be able to have the same confidence in its electoral system.”

Cllr Phil Riley, deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and Labour’s election agent, said: “This is a complete overreaction to a very small number of cases involving voter identification.

“It will stop many older people and others who do not have, and have no need for, a passport or driving licence from voting.”

Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, Labour leader of Pendle Council, said: “This is a barmy idea. In May I saw people who had voted for 50 years turned away from polling stations for not having the correct ID, many did not come back. It will cause a democratic deficit.”

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans welcomed the move saying: “This will tackle electoral fraud."

A Cabinet Office spokesman added: “Showing ID to vote is a reasonable and proportionate way to protect our elections - it is something people already do in everyday life and voters in Northern Ireland have been doing it with ease for decades.”

Campaign group The Electoral Reform Society said its research suggested there were only eight allegations of impersonation made out of the millions of votes cast during council elections in 2018.