Police have found no evidence of criminality in the Gorton and Denton byelection after claims by Nigel Farage that it was “a victory for cheating”.
Reform UK had asked Greater Manchester police (GMP) to investigate allegations of corrupt voting in the Greater Manchester contest, which the Green party won.
The election observers’ group Democracy Volunteers said it had witnessed “concerningly high levels” of so-called family voting, where one family member dictates how others cast their ballot. However, GMP said on Friday its investigation had found “no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting”.
Four observers from Democracy Volunteers had given accounts to police of about 32 potentially suspicious voting habits. These include instances in which more than one voter goes into a booth at the same time, and people looking over the shoulder of voters.
However, GMP said the volunteers had not alleged any verbal instruction or physical conduct that indicated one person was directing or coercing another about how to vote. The force said this was a “crucial part of the legislation to prove such an offence was committed” under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
It added: “We have asked Democracy Volunteers for descriptions of those alleged to be involved, and timings on when these are believed to have occurred. These details were not documented by observers or the complainant, and we have not been provided with any identities or descriptions to pursue.
“The absence of this information means there is no remaining reasonable line of inquiry.”
Farage, the Reform UK leader, called the findings an “establishment whitewash” . He said: “This isn’t good enough. We need proper oversight, real accountability, and the courage to admit when something isn’t right. Not another brushed-under-the-carpet report from the usual suspects.”
A Green party source said Reform’s attempt to “undermine” the result of the byelection had been shown to be “baseless”. They added: “The Reform candidate’s behaviour after the count was positively Trumpian – a petulant refusal to accept a clear outcome. While we didn’t expect much better from Reform, it was still concerning to see unsubstantiated claims and racist dog whistles, amplified by parts of the media. We shouldn’t allow confidence in our democracy to be corroded in this way.”
As part of the month-long inquiry, police sought CCTV from all 45 polling stations in the byelection and all but four said footage was not recorded that day as it would have compromised the secrecy of the vote.
CCTV available from three of the polling stations showed no evidence of anyone directing or coercing another regarding how to vote, police said.
Detectives also spoke to senior officials at 15 stations as well as the acting returning officer, none of whom received any reports of corrupt voting other than from Democracy Volunteers.
Farage claimed after the result that his party had been the victim of “sectarian voting and cheating”. In a video post, he called the contest “a victory for cheating in elections”.
He had asked police to investigate claims of family voting, calling the allegations “deeply concerning” and saying they raised “serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas”.
The Green party won its first seat in the north of England as Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, overturned Labour’s 13,000-vote majority.
Spencer said: “It was a fair election, run within the law and one that saw me elected with an overwhelming majority. Throughout the campaign, our communities refused to be turned against each other, and that’s exactly what we’ll carry on doing.”
A Green party spokesperson said: “New Green MP Hannah Spencer ran a positive campaign focused on the issues that mattered to local people, such as bringing down the cost of living and protecting the NHS. We’re so proud to have her elected to parliament, and will be taking this message of hope across the country in the upcoming local and Senedd elections.”
Labour came third in the tightly contested race, 5,616 votes behind the Greens on 14,980 votes, while Reform UK finished second with 10,578 votes.
The Reform candidate, Matthew Goodwin, an academic turned GB News presenter, blamed his loss on “a coalition of Islamists and woke progressives”, which he said had “come together to dominate the constituency”.
Source:
www.theguardian.com
