Ukip: postal vote system is rotten

Paul Nuttall

UKIP’S deputy leader Paul Nuttall is calling for a reform on postal voting system after discovering “something was rotten in our system” during the Oldham West and Royton by-election last year.

December 3’s by-election, which saw Jim McMahon named as MP for Oldham West and Royton, triggered Ukip leader Nigel Farage to label postal voting as “bent” and the party claimed the volume of such votes cast in the constituency had “distorted” the outcome.

Although the Evening Chronicle can confirm no official complaint was made to Oldham Council or Greater Manchester Police, Paul Nuttall says witnessing the part-postal voting placed in that particular by-election has led him to publish a paper, calling for reform.

Mr Nuttall, MEP for the North West, said: “I felt I had to write this paper following what I witnessed at the Oldham West and Royton by-election where boxes containing postal votes were almost unanimously in support of one party. I knew then that something was rotten in our system.

“I believe postal voting needs to return to its origins — allowing those who are genuinely infirm and housebound, or perhaps abroad serving in the armed forces, to have their say at the ballot box.

“What we have the moment, thanks to the Labour party for whom it serves best, is a system where anyone can demand a postal vote rather than visit a polling station.

“This means that some households can have all their votes decided by one person, regardless of an individual’s own personal political persuasions.

“In my paper I’ve highlighted recorded incidents of postal voting abuse in a diverse number of places which I believe are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Speaking after the Oldham West and Royton by-election Carolyn Wilkins, acting returning officer, said: “Oldham Council has not received any formal complaints about allegations of postal voting inregularities in the Oldham West and Royton by-election.

“This was the first election held in the country under Individual Electoral Registration and we had a high level of daily scrutiny and interest from all parties in our work.

“They will have seen that we have a robust system in place for adjudicating postal votes which includes comparing the signatures and dates of birth in the submitted postal vote application to those within the postal vote statements. Where those do not match, the postal vote is rejected and not included in the count.”

A GMP spokesman also confirmed “we haven’t received an official complaint of this nature”.

Mr Nuttall’s paper, published on April 25, highlights “numerous examples of where postal voting has been used illicitly”.

He wants to amend the Representation of the People Act 2000 by scrapping the inclusion of postal voting “on demand”.

His call comes as people choosing to vote via post have started to receive their postal voting ballots for next month’s elections.

In his paper, published by the Ukip Parliamentary Resource Unit, Mr Nuttall points to recent postal voting anomalies in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Wythenshawe and Sale East, Peterborough, Burnley, Blackburn and Birmingham, as examples of how postal voting on demand has perverted the democratic process.

They, he says, are “just the tip of the iceberg”.

Mr Nuttall added: “This would go a long way in restoring our electoral legitimacy and reinforce the belief that UK elections are being held in a fair and proper manner.

“Ukip would oppose and object to attempts to introduce any other form of absent voting such as by online or by text, as the legitimacy of such votes can be compromised.

“Ukip would ensure that unless there is a genuine need for a postal ballot, voters will only be able to vote in polling stations.”