Brexit Party launches legal challenge over defeat in Peterborough by-election, claiming breaches of electoral law

Farage denies move is ‘sour grapes’ after narrowly losing vote

Andrew Woodcock
Political Editor
Monday 24 June 2019 13:18 BST
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Peterborough by-election: Labour holds off Brexit Party

Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is to table a petition calling for an investigation into allegations of impropriety during this month’s Peterborough by-election.

The move follows reports of irregularities in the use of postal voting in the contest, which was won by Labour’s Lisa Forbes by a wafer-thin majority of 683 over the Brexit Party.

Mr Farage urged an end to the postal voting system in its current form, as party chair Richard Tice said there had been numerous “rumours” including of “vote rigging”.

Cambridgeshire Police, however, have said no offences have been revealed in respect to one allegation of bribery and two relating to postal votes during its ongoing investigation.

In a London press conference on Monday, Mr Tice claimed there was evidence that a “convicted electoral fraudster” had acted as an election agent for the Labour Party.

Mr Tice called for “answers” and said his party would lodge a petition under the Representation of the People Act 1983 later this week.

A party spokesperson said that the petition would go in by the deadline of Thursday – 21 days after the 6 June vote.

It will request an investigation by an election court under the authority of a High Court judge, which has the power to declare the result void.

Mr Farage said that the postal voting system introduced in 2001 was “wide open to corruption, to intimidation, to bribery, to abuse on a whole number of levels”.

He continued: “If you say it’s sour grapes, you can say it, but actually it is time for change and my ambition would be that by the next general election to get rid of the current postal vote system.”

Wheelchair users and overseas service personnel are among those Mr Farage suggested should keep the postal vote.

Cambridgeshire Police continue to investigate two allegations – one of a breach of the privacy of the vote and one of the burning of ballots.

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