THE Government has been accused of attempting to "bully" an independent
elections watchdog into scrapping ballot boxes in North Yorkshire.
During a heated Commons debate last night, the Tories claimed ministers
tried to browbeat the Electoral Commission into supporting all-postal voting
in local and European elections in Yorkshire and the Humber on June 10.
The Commission initially proposed the voting trial in two regions - the North East and East Midlands.
But ministers ignored the advice and announced plans to extend the pilot scheme to Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West - despite concerns about vote-rigging.
Conservative local government spokesman Nick Hawkins also accused ministers of "leaning on" returning officers into overcoming their scepticism for all-postal ballots.
He said: "We fear Labour has sought to intimidate returning officers into
changing their views."
His claim came as MPs voted by 308 to 185 - a majority of 123 - to overturn
a Lords proposal to carry out the pilot scheme in just two regions. Peers have called for the independent Electoral Commission to make the final decision.
Elections minister Chris Leslie said: "The House of Commons has made its
view known; it has repeated its view; the Lords must now back down on this
issue."
Updated: 10:27 Thursday, March 25, 2004
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