Greater Manchester police say they have found no evidence of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election:
“We’ve concluded our investigation into alleged ‘family voting’ at last month’s Gorton and Denton by-election, finding no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting.
Our investigation into alleged influencing of voters at a polling booth (under Section 62C Representation of the People Act 1983 (Ballot Secrecy Act 2023)) began after a criminal report from the Reform UK party following a public statement made by independent electoral observers at Democracy Volunteers.
We have spoken to the four Democracy Volunteers observers present at polling stations on the day of the by-election (26 February) who have shared with us their eyewitness account. This includes some instances of more than one voter going into a booth at the same time, and instances of people looking over the shoulder of voters. The information they have provided to us estimates this may have happened on 32 occasions across 15 polling stations.
The observers do not allege any verbal instruction or physical conduct that indicated one person was directing or coercing another regarding how to vote. This is a crucial part of the legislation to prove such an offence was committed.
Our investigation team, led by an experienced senior investigating officer, spoke to all four volunteers from Democracy Volunteers as part of our enquiries – obtaining a copy of their observations. We also spoke to the Presiding Officers at 15 stations as well as the Acting Returning Officer, none of whom received any reports other than from Democracy Volunteers. We have received no further criminal reports.
For us to investigate allegations, we require an understanding of who the potential suspects may be, and evidence that may corroborate eyewitness accounts. For an investigation to meet the criminal threshold for prosecution, we require admissible evidence of intent or action aimed at influencing the vote.
Continue reading “Manchester Police Find ‘No Evidence’ of Family Voting in Gorton and Denton”
New polling from Survation in the New Statesman today, in a hypothetical world in which Starmer didn’t stop ‘his friend’ Andy Burnham standing in Gorton and Denton:
Certain to vote: Green 25%, Labour 47%, Don’t Know 7%, Reform 21%
Among all voters: Green 17%, Labour 33%, Don’t Know 30%, Reform 15%
If Burnham had stood, he likely would have taken the seat. There’s always next time. Although the mayoral election to fill his vacancy would be a nail-biter…
Starmer has written to Labour MPs about Gorton & Denton. It’s George Galloway’s fault apparently…
“Dear Colleagues,
The result in Gorton and Denton is deeply disappointing.
Instead of a Labour MP who can be a local champion delivering for Gorton and Denton alongside a Labour Government and a Labour mayor, the people of Gorton and Denton now have a representative who is more interested in dividing people than uniting them. We have to learn lessons from that, and we will.
I know this is a tough result for our movement but I still want to thank you for everything you did to support our brilliant candidate Angeliki Stogia. She did a fantastic job and Gorton and Denton deserved to have her as their MP.
We’ve seen the true colours of Zack Polanski’s Greens in this campaign. The Greens were able to capitalise on an endorsement from George Galloway to win over enough voters to push them over the line. Their willingness to welcome Galloway’s divisive, sectarian politics is a sign that the Greens are not the harmless environmentalists they pretend to be, and their position on legalising all drugs shows how unstable this electoral coalition is. It cannot survive a general election campaign.
It hurts, but this is the kind of result that we have often seen parties of government face. In by-elections people can make their voice heard without risking a change of government. I get it: people are rightly impatient to see the change they voted for.
It’s my job to make sure that happens. And I’m working day in, day out to see it through.
Over the coming months, people will feel the benefit of the long-term decisions this government is taking. Look at the good economic news we’ve had in the past week: inflation and borrowing coming down, retail sales and business confidence rising, energy bills falling. And look at the policies that are going to make a difference in people’s lives in the coming months: the landmark Employment Rights Act, money off energy bills, the cruel two-child limit scrapped, more free breakfast clubs opening, Pride in Place funding coming through, NHS waiting lists continuing to fall. It will show what we’ve been saying from the outset of this year: the country is turning a corner. These are all Labour policies, putting Labour values into action – policies no other party would or could deliver.
The Greens may have won here, but they simply do not have the resources, the activist base or the local knowledge to replicate this victory across the country. We’ve seen that before. We’ve seen it with the Lib Dems, who have often won mid-term by-elections against both the Conservatives and Labour, but never been able to come close to winning nationally. We’ve seen it with George Galloway, who won two mid-term by elections but held neither of those seats in a general election.
We will continue to warn of the risk the Greens pose: the risk of extreme policies like legalising all drugs and pulling out of NATO that most voters strongly reject, and the risk of splitting the progressive vote so that Reform come through the middle.
The next election is too important to let that happen. It’s a fight we can win, and we’re going to win it.
Best,
Keir”
Can anyone who’s convinced put up their hand…
The Tories were at an away day while voters went to the polls in Gorton & Denton. Meanwhile their candidate, former police officer Charlotte Cadden, took to social media to thank Tory volunteers just as polling closed yesterday:
“And what a campaign we’ve run! I think it’s fair to say we’ve put the Conservatives back on the map in Gorton & Denton! So much love for Kemi Badenoch on the doorstep! Residents are regularly tuning in to PMQs to watch Kemi force Labour into u-turn after u-turn! We all know she is the only credible leader! Thanks again for all your support!”
The Tories lost their deposit…
Badenoch has released a lengthy statement on the by-election result attacking the three main players there:
“Our country is not broken, but this by-election showed that Labour, Reform and the Greens are trying very hard to break it. Labour trying to buy people off with more and more benefits spending. Reform telling people you can’t be British if you aren’t white. The Greens running a nasty, sectarian campaign while simultaneously wanting to legalise crack-cocaine.
Clearly this election was not about who would be the best MP. But there was only one sensible candidate standing in Gorton and Denton, and it was Charlotte Cadden – a former Deputy Chief Inspector, a mother, a woman who fought for single sex spaces and dignity for women and girls. While the other parties race to the bottom, Charlotte embodies the new Conservative Party.
This result shows Keir Starmer’s premiership is finished. He lost authority a long time ago, a mere hostage at the mercy of a divided Labour Party that cannot decide who to replace him with. He has lost the support of his voters, his MPs and the country. He is in office but not in power. If he had any integrity he would go.”
That candidate got just a bit more than double the votes of Sir Oink-a-Lot…
A bruised Starmer insisted this morning:
“I will also fight against the extremes in politics, on the Right and the Left, parties who want to tear our country apart. The Labour Party is only the party that can unite our country and our communities and we will line up together in that fight against the extremes of the Left and the Right for the values that we believe in.”
Meanwhile the vultures are circling…
So much for that.
Starmer is imploding. Get all the gossip first. Click here to become a Guido member…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”