Election monitors in Friday’s Gorton and Denton by-election were told to show ‘sensitivity’ when looking for illegal ‘family voting’, it has emerged amid claims of fraud and calls for police to investigate.
The Green Party won a crushing victory in the contest, securing 40.7 per cent of the ballot, with Reform UK finishing second and Labour pushed into third place in what had been a former stronghold.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage referred reports of so-called family voting to Greater Manchester Police, citing concerns about voters being accompanied into polling booths.
He said: ‘If this is what was happening at polling stations, just imagine the potential for coercion with postal votes. If action isn’t taken now, then we will ensure it is after the next general election‘
The guidance at the centre of the row, issued ahead of polling day, advises observers to be mindful of cultural differences when challenging cases where relatives appear to be influencing how someone casts their ballot.
The move has sparked criticism in areas including Gorton and Denton, where monitors have previously been deployed amid concerns about breaches of ballot secrecy.
Family voting – where one person accompanies another into a polling booth and seeks to influence their choice – was made a specific criminal offence in 2023.
Presiding officers have the power to remove anyone interfering with another person’s vote.
Green Party’s candidate Hannah Spencer reacts during vote counting in the Gorton and Denton by-election
Nigel Farage seen holding scissors to cut the ribbon and Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin, during the campaign
Party observers watch as votes are counted for the Gorton and Denton by-election at Manchester Central
But The Telegraph revealed that observers must agree to a mandatory code of conduct requiring ‘sensitivity for United Kingdom cultures and customs’ and the ‘highest level of professional conduct at all times’.
Democracy Volunteers, an accredited monitoring group, said it witnessed 32 separate incidents of family voting across 15 of the 22 polling stations it observed, calling the proportion ‘extremely high’.
Mr Farage urged the Electoral Commission to liaise with Greater Manchester Police to ensure all reported incidents were properly investigated ‘with a view to prosecute where the evidence supports it’.
In a statement, he said: ‘If this is what was happening at polling stations, just imagine the potential for coercion with postal votes.
‘If action isn’t taken now, then we will ensure it is after the next general election.
‘The principle of the secret ballot is the cornerstone of British democracy. When accredited observers document breaches on this scale, swift and transparent action by the regulator is essential to maintain trust in the entire electoral system.’
He added that the Commission was ‘both empowered and obliged’ to review what happened in Gorton and Denton and examine ‘any systemic weaknesses that allowed such widespread breaches of the secret ballot to occur’.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed it is reviewing a report into the allegations and said a further update would be provided in due course.
The Conservatives also wrote to the Electoral Commission to demand an inquiry into the alleged offences and the local council’s handling of the situation.
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said Sir Keir Starmer’s by-election loss was a consequence of previously ‘harvesting’ the Muslim vote, claiming this tactic ‘came back to bite them’.
Sir James Cleverly, the shadow communities secretary, said: ‘Any cultural practice of husbands being allowed to instruct their wives how to vote is an insult to the hard-fought liberty of female suffrage.
‘The rights of all British voters – across class, colour and creed – must be defended. The law must be applied equally and fairly to everyone.’
A spokesman for the watchdog said: ‘We take allegations of family voting very seriously. It is a criminal offence to attempt to pressure someone to vote in a certain way. We encourage anyone who believes an offence has occurred to report it to the police.
‘We are in close contact with the returning officer and Greater Manchester Police to speedily and carefully review the concerns that have been raised. W
‘We have received letters from Nigel Farage MP and Sir James Cleverly MP. We have replied, and will carefully consider the points raised.’
