Saturday 28 April 2012

The Elephant In The Room Remains Unnamed…

…but it has small ears and a high, domed forehead.
Scotland Yard was today asked by the elections watchdog to investigate “unprecedented” evidence of voter fraud ahead of next week’s polling for London Mayor.
No surprises where – it’s Tower Hamlets. Of course…
It follows growing concerns of cheating in the east London borough, involving the creation of bogus voters at a series of addresses.
*shocked face*
In a letter to the commission’s chairwoman, Jenny Watson, the councillors said: “We write to you as a matter of urgency to demand action be taken about what we believe to be serious abuses of the electoral register and gross voting malpractice in Tower Hamlets.
“In particular we are concerned at the unprecedented number of households that have recently signed up for postal votes in the borough. This was evident last week during the Spitalfields and Banglatown by-election.”
Oh ho! A clue?
“We are aware of instances where people who no longer live at an address are still being sent postal votes and their votes have been cast. We are also aware of instances where postal votes have been collected from voters.
Similar activities are occurring in Weavers ward, where a by-election will be held on May 3. Other elections are also due and their integrity may be compromised.”
And just what do TH have to say about it?
Tower Hamlets said in a statement: "…it is important not to confuse fraudulent activity with a register that changes by up to 20 per cent a month because we have a population that is highly mobile - our borough includes a high proportion of students and restaurant workers."
Hmmmm, I think Cambridge and Oxford are similarly afflicted with ‘a high proportion of students’. Should we expect the same level of voter fraud there, too?

Or is there some other factor?

17 comments:

Macheath said...

It's interesting to compare this wth the French system.

To apply for a postal vote there, you must register in person at your local police station, providing proof of identity and address and giving your reason for needing to vote by post.

Anonymous said...

I can't help strongly suspecting that there is particularly nasty bit of backroom dealing behind this. I mean the move to wider postal voting. Step forward all ivestigative journalists. I mean elephants not only habe long memories but like to ask for things in return for not running amok.

Tatty said...

Wait, what...Banglatown ???

Dr Cromarty said...

Honestly, you make Tower Hamlets sound like Lahore. Oh, wait....

Anonymous said...

plizz, plizz nice hinglish pipple dere is nah need to vorry ve trrrribal elders vill ensure dat all de votes from the pipple vill be palced in de right boxes for de right candidate - just like at home. Ve are loving wery much your beautiful hospitality and freedom to set up our nice replica ghettoes. Plizz also remember ve have a wey efficinet money transfer system too, no nasty vestern banks too. Good bye - Mr khan - community leader Stepney High Street. Oh blimey, maybee itsa becozz ahm a lundoneeeeerrrr...........

Greencoat said...

The ever-ripening fruits of turd world immigration...

bamboo investments said...

Hmmm....East London....immigration....lots of would be Labour voters..

Sarton Bander said...

Immigration fraud was ignored when the vote were most likely cast for Labour.

Now that galloways traitor party is acendent it's suddenly a problem.

banned said...

This got quite a lot of coverage on Radio 2 and 4 last week but not once was it suggested that a Cultural element might be involved.

blueknight said...

All a bit strange. Unless it is the local elections and not the mayoral elections they are getting ready for.

blueknight said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dave h said...

Any case involving fraud and minorites should have Keith Vaz MP chairing an enquiry into it.

After all, he's currently making a fuss over the Gatwick delays, and he knows all about speeding up passport formalities.

Captain Haddock said...

I think that TPTB may have found an effective way to counter voter fraud in Tower Hamlets .. ;)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136795/Surface-air-missiles-flats-protect-Olympics-huge-security-operation.html

Anonymous said...

The missiles are there to protect the Islamic Republic of Tower Hamlets from attack by Israeli aircraft.
A very nice residents association (called Hamlets-Hezbollah ) has agreed to man the installations for the Olympic duration. this will save the taxpayers considerable amounts of debt (sorry, pounds).

As an aside:
http://tinypic.com/r/2z5orqh/6

JuliaM said...

"..register in person at your local police station, providing proof of identity and address and giving your reason for needing to vote by post."

A place I bet many of the TH inhabitants know well! They could do it while they answer bail.

"Wait, what...Banglatown ???"

'fraid so!

"This got quite a lot of coverage on Radio 2 and 4 last week but not once was it suggested that a Cultural element might be involved."

I know. :(

Anonymous said...

I see the benefits of the Olympics are already accruing (to fraudsters):

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/crime/two-sentenced-for-a-23-million-olympic-money-laundering-scheme-7675785.html

"Two men have been jailed for money laundering following a £2.3 million fraud against the Olympic Delivery Authority."

David Gillies said...

The postal voting system was deliberately knobbled by Labour as a) a sop to the Moslems so they didn't have to let their womenfolk out of purdah and b) on the understanding that all those shonky votes would be cast to get Moslem Labour councillors in. Of course to point this out risks being labeled as some sort of -phobe by the usual suspects, but do a Google search on such prosecutions as have been brought and tell me the statistics lie.