As Bury prepares to celebrate diversity this weekend with the return of the Pride festival, trans and non-binary people could be abstaining from voting in the upcoming General Election due to a lack of inclusion.

Last month, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported a quarter of trans and non-binary people surveyed in the UK were less likely to vote in upcoming elections due to the need for photo ID.

In Bury, there were 4,362 people who identified as a sexual orientation other than heterosexual in the 2021 census, meaning many residents could be affected by issues securing photo ID - or opt not to vote.

Cllr Sandra Walmsley, cabinet member for communities and inclusion, said: “Bury is rich in diversity and the council fully supports our LGBTQI+ community.

"We recently celebrated IDAHOBIT day in support of our trans residents and to help break down barriers to public services, and will be hosting Bury Pride again this year.

“The elections office has worked hard to communicate to all residents to ensure they're able to register to vote, with or without photo ID.

"We also work closely with our LGBTQI+ employers group to ensure we get views and feedback from a wide range of people.”

Cllr Walmsley also advised that individuals have the option to register for a postal vote or apply for a voter authority certificate if their photo ID no longer looks like them, or they have changed their name.

The deadline to register to vote in the election is 11.59pm on Tuesday, June 18 and the cut off for postal votes is 5pm on Wednesday, June 19 

Parliamentary candidates in Bury are facing some of the smallest majorities in the country in the next election - 105 votes in Bury North and 402 in Bury South.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said last month if the decision was up to him he would remove the need for photo ID at elections as it “deters young people and marginalised groups”.

A LGBT Foundation spokesperson said: “LGBTQ+ people face many barriers to voting - lack of accessible information on voter registration, lack of usable photo ID, fears of being discriminated against or misgendered at the polling station, and general apathy towards politics that often marginalises the needs of our community.

"LGBT Foundation is encouraging everyone, LGBTQ+ or ally, to register to vote and learn about their democratic rights, as we believe it's important that our communities are empowered to vote with pride."

Bury Pride takes place tomorrow, Saturday, June 1 on Knowsley Street, outside Bury Town Hall from 10.30am onwards with the Walking Rainbow Parade starting at 1pm.