In the name of public safety

I asked Copilot what was Labour’s stance on voter I.D. introduced by the Tories a couple of years ago in their bid to gerrymander elections (they imagined) in their own favour. Good ‘ole Copilot told me:
 
‘The UK Labour Party has been consistently critical of the Conservative government's introduction of voter ID laws, arguing that they disproportionately disenfranchise certain groups and undermine democratic participation.
🔍 Key criticisms from Labour:
·           Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, described the policy as “designed to rig the next election” by making it harder for younger and historically marginalised groups to vote.
·             
·           Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, stated that electoral fraud is a “very minor” issue and emphasized Labour’s commitment to ensuring people can exercise their right to vote. She confirmed that Labour ministers are considering watering down the voter ID laws as part of broader electoral reforms.
·             
·           Keir Starmer, while previously outspoken against voter ID laws in 2021, has been more cautious in recent comments. He acknowledged the negative impact but hasn’t committed to scrapping the laws entirely.’
 
Now I find myself having to reapply for a postal vote, for which the government wants a photo, N.I. number, copy of my signature (in black ink) and some other form of I.D. (e.g. passport), along with the usual name and address, etc. This can all be supplied via the government’s totally secure, leak and hack proof website. It is clear Labour has no intention of changing any of this and now there’s fresh talk of introducing I.D. cards ‘to stop illegal immigration.’ I have no great objection to I.D. cards, but I confess to being suspicious of the motives behind this latest talk. Starmer’s authoritarian government would probably make it a criminal offence to go out and about without I.D. Tied with the exponential growth in the use of facial recognition (including the use of drones) the world of surveillance technocops is rapidly drifting into view.