Contempt for rules is shaking the foundations of British democracy | Rafael Behr

With its voter ID ruse and a bid to capture the civil service, the government is emulating US Republicans' winner-takes-all populism

Any competition with a prize worth having attracts cheats. That is as true of politics as it is of sport. Whether cheats prosper depends on a combination of regulation and culture. There must be rules, enforced by independent institutions, but also an ethos of honouring the rules, policed by conscience.

The introduction of mandatory voter ID for local elections in England this week is doubly insidious because it smuggles dishonourable intent in a measure purporting to strengthen the rules.

Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist

Rafael Behr will discuss his new book, Politics: A Survivor's Guide, at a Guardian Live event on Monday 12 June. The event will be live in London and livestreamed. Book tickets here