Grinding Out The Excuses

by Les May

It seems that at a recent Rochdale Labour Party meeting Faisal Rana’s behaviour in securing for himself two votes at the local elections in May and Allen Brett’s failure to ask for his resignation, were discussed.  The concerns about maintaining the integrity of the electoral process expressed by two of the other candidates in those elections were dismissed as ‘having an axe to grind’ by a councillor who has taken every opportunity to excuse Mr Rana’s behaviour.  The same councillor also argued that if Rana resigned and a by-election was called it would cost Rochdale MBC £50,000. I find this comment bizarre.

Now as it happens I am acquainted with both these candidates.  Mr Faulkner I have met on 3 or possibly 4 occasions.  Mr Bamford I have known for more than 50 years. In spite of our very different political outlook we have sustained a friendship during this time on the basis that we are both believers in George Orwell’s dictum that ‘Freedom of speech is having the right to tell people what they do not wish to hear’.

They may indeed have ‘an axe to grind’. People who stand for political office usually do. I don’t; I have voted Labour all my life; I am not a member of any faction, though I am sometimes to be seen at ‘Friends of Jeremy Corbyn’ meetings; I maintain cordial relationships with my three local Labour councillors, but I too think the behaviour of Rana and Brett is shameful, and likely to end in tears for Labour.

The question that none of the apologists for Rana’s behaviour want to ask is, ‘Why does Mr Rana think he is entitled to vote in the Spotland and Falinge ward elections?’  Surely to have any moral entitlement to vote, or nominate a candidate, one has to have some clear connection with the ward. such as residence in the ward. Merely maintaining a postal or business address in the ward is not enough.

Not convinced?  How about this? I live in the Heywood and Middleton constituency, but have friends in the Rochdale constituency.  I ask if I can give their address as a postal address.  To make doubly sure I set up a company and use it as my business address.   (To see how easy it is to set up a company just type ‘set up a company’ in a Google search box.) I apply to be placed on the electoral register using my new address, having already registered at my old address which is where I live with my wife. To make things easier I ask for a postal vote. I hope to use both my votes in the next General Election.

If this is illegal, what are the chances I will be found out?  Will the people who service the electoral register check my application for registration at my ‘new’ address against ALL the people already on the electoral register? Probably not. So I get away with it unless some vigilant elector spots what I’m up to, or I boast about in on Twitter. It does happen!

If it’s legal what moral entitlement do I have to vote in the constituency in which I do not live?

We now know his actions were illegal.  What remains to be answered is; ‘What moral entitlement did Mr Rana have to deliberately seek out and use a second vote in the May 2018 election?’