One For Ttt - From Private Eye.

[Hymie]

I rarely post anything from the ‘Rotten Boroughs’ section which covers corruption, incompetence or dishonest goings on at local councils – but this caught my eye.

The Tory candidate for the Marsden West ward (of Nelson town council in Lancashire) Julie Green, polled the most votes in the recent elections. But the returning officer read out the names in the wrong order, declaring Labour’s Patricia Hannah-Wood the winner.

Hannah-Wood is refusing to give up the seat and has already attended council meetings and been appointed to several committee posts. Apparently the only recourse of Green is a long and expensive legal battle to get a judge to overturn the mistake.

If any ABers live in the area, perhaps they can shame the local Labour party and Hannah-Wood into doing the right thing.

[Old_Geezer]

This sort of incident makes me wonder at those who make and who interpret & uphold the law. If talent type shows can admit to saying the wrong thing and putting the result right, how come this situation is so different ? And how do they make something lengthy & expensive when all agree on what has occurred. It should be a 5 minute hearing at most. That is if it ever had to be settled in court.

[drmorgans]

Apparently Hannah-Wood sits on another local council.

What are the rules? Multiple councillorships, including where you live, where you work or have business interests?

[Buenchico]

They certainly know how to get their knickers in a twist when it comes to local elections around there. Ribble Valley has had problems too, with votes from electors in marginal areas counted in the wrong wards:
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23518361.nelson-town-council-hit-election-official-error/

[mjhall]

The election result can be found on the website of Pendle Borough Council https://www.pendle.gov.uk/directory_record/673994/2023_-_town_and_parish_election_4_may. This records that the Labour candidate won. and an election petition needed to be presented to the High Court within 21 days of the election under s. 129 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. I wonder how Ms Green knows the result was wrongly declared - have the ballot papers been scrutinised?