Police probe into ‘family voting’ in Gorton and Denton by-election finds ‘no evidence’ of law breaches after Reform UK’s complaint of ‘cheating’

A police investigation into allegations of ‘family voting’ in last month’s Gorton and Denton by-elections found no evidence of breaches of electoral law, it was announced today.

The February 26 parliamentary elections, won by the Green Party, were shaken by allegations of illegal practices at the voting centers in the constituency.

In so-called ‘family voting’, two people use a voting booth and potentially guide each other in voting.

The tougher law, known as the Ballot Secrecy Act, went into effect in 2023 to make it clear that it is a crime in an effort to restrict the practice.

Election watchdog group Volunteers for Democracy said it witnessed ‘worryingly high levels’ of family voting in the Gorton and Denton byelections.

Reform UK, which came second in the parliamentary race, later reported it to Greater Manchester Police, saying party leader Nigel Farage had ‘cheated’.

But on Friday the force said it had found no evidence of intent to influence or prevent anyone from voting, adding that there was ‘no reasonable line of inquiry left’.

Mr Farage opposed ‘whitewashing the institution’ and said: ‘This is not good enough.

‘We need proper oversight, real accountability and the courage to admit when something is not right, not another swept-under-the-carpet report from the usual suspects.

He added: ‘Frankly, this is exactly the kind of institution that people are sick to death of.’

The parliamentary contest on February 26 was rocked by allegations of illegal practices at polling stations in the constituency

Hannah Spencer from the Green Party won the by-election with 40.7 percent of the votes and a majority of 4,402 votes, while Matt Goodwin from Reform came second with 28.7 percent of the votes.

The organization said four accredited election observers from Volunteers for Democracy saw families voting at 15 of the 22 polling stations they attended in Gorton and Denton.

This was a total of 32 cases, with nine cases observed at just one polling station. This meant that 12 percent of voters observed that family voting was due to or influenced by their vote.

But in a statement, Greater Manchester Police said Democracy Volunteers had not alleged ‘any verbal instructions or physical behavior that would suggest one person directed or coerced another into how to vote’.

“This is a very important part of the legislation that will prove that such a crime has been committed,” police added.

Greater Manchester Police said they had asked Democracy Volunteers for descriptions of those allegedly involved and the timing of the incidents when they were believed to have occurred.

Police said these details ‘were not documented by observers or the complainant and we were not provided with any identification or explanation to follow’.

He added that some CCTV footage was obtained from three polling stations visited by Democracy Volunteers, who interviewed each polling officer, but that these stations did not show any evidence of people directing or coercing others on how to vote.

“There is no evidence to suggest any intent to influence or deter a person from voting, as set forth in the Ballot Secrecy Act of 2023,” the statement said.

The Gorton and Denton by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Labor Secretary Andrew Gwynne from the House of Commons.

Despite packing the Greater Manchester seat with ministers and 1,000 activists ahead of election day, Labor finished the contest a dismal third.

Senior Tory MP Sir James Cleverly, shadow communities secretary, said: ‘It is completely unacceptable for anyone’s vote to be monitored or pressured at a polling station.

‘The secrecy of voting is as important in the 21st century as it was in the 19th century.

‘Volunteers for Democracy’ had widespread allegations of family voting in Gorton and Denton, and this is not the only place where these allegations were reported.

‘The rights of all British voters, regardless of class, color or creed, must be defended and the law must be applied equally and fairly to all.

‘The government must confirm how they will ensure this happens across the board.’

Back for the by-election, Manchester City Council leader Tom Stannard criticized the way complaints were made about how the vote was handled.

‘The headline allegations were made public just minutes after the polls closed. “In contrast, it took 11 days for the observers’ specific allegations to be shared with us,” he said.

‘If observers had concerns, they should have conveyed them to polling officials immediately. It is unfortunate that this did not happen in this case.’

Election Commission chairman Vijay Rangarajan said: ‘Public confidence in elections is very important.

‘We take any allegations of fraud or allegations about how surveys were conducted very seriously and are grateful that Manchester Police investigated appropriately to establish the facts.

‘Voters should be able to trust that our elections are secure and conducted with integrity.

‘It is equally important that any claims about the security and integrity of elections are supported by evidence so that voters have accurate information about how the polls are conducted.’

A spokesperson for Volunteers for Democracy said: ‘Our report reflects observations made in good faith on election day by experienced and trained, independent and non-partisan observers.

‘We used a robust methodology consistent with international observing standards and drew on extensive UK and international experience.

‘The report was published to promote transparency in the election process. As a matter of courtesy, we spoke to the returning officer before sharing the contents of the report and published the report independently in our watchdog role.

‘Any decision taken by the relevant authorities involves a different threshold of evidence; ‘We stand behind our methodology and have offered to work constructively with Manchester City Council and others to support improvements going forward.’