A bizarre video featuring Manchester councillors donning Zorro-style masks has made an appearance on a flagship BBC comedy programme.
The video, posted by veteran Harpurhey representative Pat Karney, warned voters to take photo ID with them to polling stations ahead of last week’s local elections. This year’s election was the first to require the electorate to prove their identity.
Coun Karney spent the weeks leading up to polling day publicising the new requirement, in-person and on social media. His video, which also featured fellow Harpurhey councillors Joanne Green and Sandra Collins, saw the trio don the masks to warn residents of the change.
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In the video, Coun Karney said: "Hello everybody in Harpurhey and Collyhurst. Next week on polling day, you will need facial ID to get your vote. If you haven't got that they won't allow you to vote."
Coun Joanne Green then continues, saying: "So make sure you've got a plan as to which facial ID that you are going to take with you."
Then Coun Sandra Collins adds: "This is a government regulation and we don't agree." Coun Karney then signs off, saying: "So get the message, Harpurhey and Collyhurst. Thank you."
A clip of the video made an appearance on Have I Got News For You on Friday, May 5. After seeing the clip, panellist Paul Merson joked that it was the ‘am dram version of Marvel superheroes’.
He added: “It doesn’t say anything about the charisma of those three people, but my eye was constantly drawn to the plastic bag on the floor.”
The video did raise a serious discussion of the new law, however, with opposition team captain and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop pointing out: “They’re trying to get people to take their ID to polling stations, because suddenly this new protocol has been brought in. It means you have to take ID, and there’s no problem with voter [fraud] in this country, at all.”
Following Thursday’s election, which saw Coun Karney be re-elected to his ward, turnout at the polls took a drop. The number of people turned away from polling stations in Manchester is understood to be in the hundreds, but the majority were said to have come back and voted later.
Manchester's Labour council leader Bev Craig said it was too early to say what the impact of the new voter ID rules had been. But she said there should have been a 'surge' in voting as turnout typically increases as general elections approach.
Following the announcement of the results, the Electoral Commission said that polling day had run smoothly overall, but the new law ‘posed a greater challenge for some groups’.
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