…”Two million people could be dropped from the list by the end of the year if they don’t identify themselves as a “genuine voter”, thanks to the government’s “rushed” changes to registration rules, according to anti-extremism group HOPE Not Hate.

The changes – which could happen without people realising – represent a loss of voting rights on a scale that is “almost inconceivable”, the group claims.”

…”Nick Lowles, HOPE Not Hate Chief Executive, said: “Originally there was another year to get all these people verified. Instead of which we are about to see the greatest disenfranchisement in British history.

“The scale of it is almost inconceivable. And the situation is actually going to get worse in the next few days as students return to university and have to register individually.

“There are just 10 weeks left to save democracy,” he said.

The two million who could be removed would join an existing eight million ‘missing’ voters, people who are eligible to vote, but don’t according to HOPE Not Hate.

The total of 10 million ‘missing Britons’ is the equivalent of losing the entire population of London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow and Sheffield combined from the electoral roll.

Earlier this year the then-Labour leader Ed Miliband warned that nearly a million people have already “disappeared” from the register. Labour said the figure was a result of what it called the “hasty” way the Government introduced individual voter registration.”