Corner of Pendle compared to 'Zimbabwe under Mugabe' in row over 'suspicious' postal votes

A ward of Pendle has been compared Zimbabwe under former ruler Robert Mugabe amid a row over allegedly suspicious postal votes.

Some Pendle councillors claim the sheer number of postal votes issued in Nelson's Bradley ward - and the large number returned on one particular day - were unlike any other ward in the borough.

In a fiery meeting of Pendle Council, it was alleged there had been reports candidates or campaigners collected postal votes from homes, which is now illegal.

The meeting heard how 2,502 postal votes were issued - which accounts for one third of the electorate. By way of comparison, in Fence and Higham, there just over 300 postal votes.

Independent Coun Mohammed Iqbal and Lib-Dem David Whipp both put forward a motion on electoral abuse. It called for investigations and new powers, which was supported by all political parties.

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Coun Iqbal said: "First, I want to thank council staff for all their hard work in the smooth running of elections and I want that clearly reflected."

He added: "This country prides itself on democracy. People have fought world wars for the right to vote. But sadly, for the second year running in my ward of Bradley - which is also the mayor's ward - there appears to be discrepancies with the number of postal votes returned.

"The postal votes figures across all wards vary. A lot of people tend to vote early [with postal votes]. Last year in Bradley, over 2,500 postal votes were issued. But 1,149 were opened by council officers on the day before polling day. That was 52 per cent of the entire postal vote returned in the 24 hours before polling day.

"We could argue that the people of Bradley in that election didn't make-up their minds until the last minute? But nowhere else was like that. The nearest ward is Brierfield East and Clover Hill There, just over 200 postal votes were returned that day. That was 800 less in comparison.

He commented: "One could say the postal vote collection was based on how Robert Mugabe used to run elections."

Regarding this year's election, he said: "Across wards, numbers vary from the hundreds to the thousands. In Fence and Higham, there just over 300 postal votes. But one ward stands out again this year. It is Bradley. There were 2,502 postal votes issued there. That's one third of the electorate.

"I watched postal vote returns every day. And I congratulated the returning officer where she made it clear she was going to seal the post box outside the town hall three days before polling day.

"Last year, over 1,000 postal votes were bundled through. This year, four days before polling day, 1,059 postal votes were returned. That's 50 per cent of the postal votes in one day."

Coun Iqbal said some people had called for investigations by the returning officer and police. But this was not forthcoming because of witnesses.

He added: "Either we have extra powers or we scrap postal votes, But we can't have two years running where thousands of postal votes are returned like this. There is something going wrong."

INDIVIDUAL NAMES

Lib-Dem Coun David Whipp, Pendle Council's deputy leader, said: "The significant difference between previous years and this year is that the handling of postal votes by candidates and campaigners became illegal. No longer was it guidance. The law says campaigners should not touch other people's postal votes.

"Your name, Mr Mayor, it mentioned in this respect. I have heard all sorts of things about a councillor in Bradley ward going door-to-door collecting postal votes, collecting postal votes that were not completed, taking them of people's mantelpiece. That, Mr Mayor, is quite frankly illegal. It's against the law. I also heard Mr Mayor, that you, yourself..."

At that point, Conservative Coun Nadeem Ahmed asked to speak. He said: "I'm not sure where Coun Whipp is going with this. But it's totally inappropriate to say what he is saying or suggesting in a public forum like this.

"I'm perfectly happy with the motion. It's sensible. It's a serious matter. I have no objections. But to mention individual names in a public forum and the direct naming of an individual is unacceptable and unfair.

"The motion clearly sets out that all the authorities should investigate including the police. I think we will leave that to the police rather than singling out an individual.

He added: "Councillors including Coun Iqbal and Coun Whipp have been here [in Pendle Council] long enough. We heard the late Lord Greaves speak in this very chamber about electoral fraud in Pendle, postal votes, proxies, registration of votes on numerous occasions. It would be unfair of anyone to single-out one person. I think we should leave this motion where it is and for councillors to decide if we want to support it.

"All we are doing otherwise is bringing Pendle into absolute disrepute at our very first meeting where the mayor has been elected. I do not think that is appropriate."

PUBLIC INTEREST

But Coun Whipp said: "I believe this issue is in the public interest. I believe what I am saying is true. I am not attempting to defame anybody."

He went on: "Mr Mayor, you were witnessed accompanying people to the town hall..."

Again Coun Ahmed raised concerns. The mayor asked Coun Whipp to sit down and to hear from a council officer. Rose Rouse, Pendle's chief executive, said: "It's really important that we remember the rules of this chamber. We're hear to discuss the issues. Let's keep people's names and personalities out of it please. These are serious allegations and let's have the proper authorities look at them."

Coun Whipp then said: "During the election period, I reported my concerns to the returning officer who eventually referred it to the police. But the returning officer and the police did not act in order to satisfy my concerns. I am raising these issues here in [legal] privilege because I think they are very serious and have not been sufficiently investigated."

Independent Coun Naeem Ashraf said some council staff deserved particular thanks for their election work. After last year's poll, he said there was some activity this year in Brierfield with police knocking on doors about proxy votes. He was unsure if Pendle Council or the police initiated this. But he still felt not enough was done and the returning officer and police 'have just turned a blind eye'.

Councillors backed the motion calling for the returning officer to write to the UK's Electoral Commission and the government. Speaking after, Rose Rouse, the chief executive and returning officer, said: "I will be writing to the Electoral Commission asking for an independent investigation by all authorities concerned to ensure no irregularities have occurred.

"I will also be contacting the government to request new legislation giving returning officers the power to reject postal votes where suspicious activity is taking place in a particular area."