Here we go again.....!

 

Not content with circulating half truths and innuendoes in relation to the Arbeia Fort proposals – the trouble making “Hard left Independents” are now peddling misinformation about the conduct of last years election in Beacon and Bents. They are trying to scare you into NOT VOTING.

Let’s have the facts!!

What does election Law say?

Any elector who votes by post MUST, BY LAW complete a declaration form that they are the person for whom the postal vote was intended. They must sign the form and put their date of birth.

This declaration form is completely separate to the postal vote, which you put inside a small sealed brown envelope in order to ensure YOUR VOTE IS TOTALLY SECRET. This declaration form prevents FRAUD and stops someone using a postal vote which was not intended for them.

In ALL Wards across South Tyneside – not just Beacon and Bents – a small number of returned postal votes inside the small brown envelopes were rejected and not opened by the Returning Officer because the person returning them did not sign the declaration form correctly. In some cases the declaration form was not even returned so anyone could potentially have used that postal vote.

In Beacon and Bents 62 envelopes WERE REJECTED BY NON-PARTY POLITICAL OFFICIALS, BECAUSE THIS SECURITY PAPER WAS NOT COMPLETED CORRECTLY.

As a result, the Returning Officer PREVENTED potential fraudulent papers from being counted.

The Labour Candidate won the election – THIS WAS AFTER A RECOUNT.

What did the Independent Candidate want to happen?

The Independent candidate wanted the Returning Officer to open ballot papers received which DID NOT HAVE THE DECLARATION FORM correctly completed – in other words he wanted potentially fraudulent papers to be opened.

THIS IS WRONG, AGAINST THE LAW AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL

 

The Court Case:

The defeated Independent candidate then went to Court to request that these small brown envelopes should be opened – THE COURT DISMISSED THE CASE – NOT BECAUSE THE PAPERS WERE NOT THERE, BUT BECAUSE HE FAILED TO SHOW ANY LEGAL GROUNDS TO JUSTIFY HIS REQUEST.

The Court awarded costs of £30,000 but the hard left Independents now want YOU – via the public purse - to pay the Bill for what was in essence a publicity seeking and frivolous court case!!

It’s a fact.....

·   No BALLOT boxes used during the election went missing – All valid ballot papers were counted

·   After the election, rejected postal ballot paper envelopes were lost BUT electronic copies of the declaration forms still exist so that it would have been possible to check whether the rejection was correct

·   The Council has not refused to answer questions on this matter   

·   There is no “mystery”; the troublemaking hard-left Independents simply cannot accept they lost a fair election.  They are resorting to gutter tactics to portray non-political Council officers in a false light for short term political gain

·   The Council cannot support the public paying £30,000 for a defeated candidate’s publicity stunt 

·   The Independents actions are NOT supported by the major political parties on South Tyneside who view their actions as a publicity stunt designed to frighten you into not voting in this year’s election