No evidence of 'family voting' in Gorton and Denton by-election

An investigation carried out by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has found no evidence to support claims of “family voting” or voter coercion during the Gorton and Denton by-election. The inquiry followed allegations raised by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who reported suspected illegal activity to both GMP and the Electoral Commission after the election last month. Family voting refers to situations where one family member influences another’s vote, such as accompanying them into the polling booth.

Despite Farage’s insistence that the practice had occurred at “extremely high” levels, GMP stated that there was no indication of any attempts to influence or dissuade voters, in line with the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023. Farage criticized the police conclusion as an “establishment whitewash,” demanding stronger oversight and accountability rather than what he described as “another brushed-under-the-carpet report.” The by-election held on 26 February saw Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer take the Labour-held seat, and the allegations had emerged partly in response to this unexpected result.

The police inquiry involved discussions with officers stationed at all 45 polling places, none of whom reported suspicious activity beyond claims from independent election monitors Democracy Volunteers. At 41 of these locations, CCTV was not in operation on polling day to maintain voter privacy, consistent with official guidance. Where footage was reviewed, no evidence of coercion or direction influencing votes was found. Observers from Democracy Volunteers could not provide detailed descriptions or precise timings of alleged incidents, and no verbal or physical attempts to guide voters were recorded. GMP concluded that the lack of concrete information left no valid grounds for further investigation.

Tom Stannard, the Returning Officer, expressed support for the investigation’s outcome, emphasizing confidence in the election’s integrity. He pointed out that allegations were made public just minutes after polls closed, but the detailed claims from observers were only shared 11 days later. Stannard noted that any concerns should have been raised immediately at the polling stations but regretted this did not occur. Meanwhile, Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemned the allegations as unfounded and fueled by the establishment and media, describing them as Islamophobic and motivated by fear of political change.

The Electoral Commission reaffirmed the seriousness with which it treats fraud allegations. Chief executive Vijay Rangarajan stressed the necessity of evidence-backed claims to maintain voter trust and outlined recent updates to electoral observer guidelines intended to clarify expected conduct and proper procedures for raising concerns. Democracy Volunteers defended their report, noting it was based on a “robust methodology aligned with international observation standards” and aimed to promote transparency in the democratic process

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