Green Party supports probe into family voting in Gorton and Denton, says peer
The Green Party supports any investigation into alleged breaches of electoral laws in the Gorton and Denton by-election, one of its peers told Parliament.
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The party’s Hannah Spencer won the by-election in February with 40.7% of the vote and a majority of 4,402.
However, election observer group Democracy Volunteers warned it had witnessed “concerningly high levels” of family voting, an illegal practice where two voters use one polling booth and potentially direct each other on voting.
Reform UK, whose candidate Matt Goodwin came second with 28.7% of the vote, reported this to Greater Manchester Police.
Read more: New Green Party MP Hannah Spencer sworn in to Parliament after by-election win
Reform leader Nigel Farage has also called for an investigation into breaches of ballot secrecy to be launched by the Electoral Commission, which had directed those who think an offence has been committed to go to police.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, who is a former Green Party executive chairwoman and deputy mayor of London under Ken Livingstone, said the Green Party supports any investigation.
However, she said she is assured by psephologists – specialists who scientifically study, analyse, and forecast elections and voting behaviour – that family voting would not have changed the result.
She said: “In the Gorton and Denton by-election, if there were these alleged breaches of electoral laws, any investigation would be supported by the Green Party, obviously.
“But it’s quite interesting, in view of the size of the victory of the Green Party over the Reform Party, I am assured by psephologists that there is absolutely no case to be answered that the result could be changed by these alleged breaches of electoral law.”
Local government minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said: “We don’t want to see breaches of electoral law at any time, whatever the outcome of the election is.
“And it’s very important that voters going to cast their vote can have complete confidence in the system that’s operating, whether it influences the outcome of the election or not.
“I think it’s very important that we all want to see, both in practice and in the policy that sits behind it, that elections are safe and secure and that people can cast their vote knowing that elections are above board and legal.”
Lady Jones’ comments come after Green Party Zack Polanski said Mr Farage is “a sore loser” and that Reform are “spreading misinformation and smears”.
He told Sky News last week: “Nigel Farage is a sore loser and he just lost an election badly.
“I think more to the substantive point though, Manchester City Council, who are obviously independent in this, have been really clear that there has been no irregularity.
“Police officers were at every single polling station and there’s no finding that anything was seen or anything untoward happened.
“So actually just once again Reform are spreading misinformation and smears, and the press and the media seem to repeat them.”
He asked: “Who are Democracy Volunteers? I don’t think anyone had heard about Democracy Volunteers until yesterday.”