Month: May 2011

Alternative Vote Referendum Count – Wallasey Town Hall 6th May 2011

The AV Referendum Count started at 4pm on the 6th May. A select few were there to observe the proceedings, Cllr Bridson, Cllr Clements, Cllr McCubbin, Cllr Steve Williams, Ann Davies. The Leader of the Council (Cllr Jeff Green) and Deputy Leader of the Council (Cllr Lesley Rennie) came by for a short time to … Continue reading “Alternative Vote Referendum Count – Wallasey Town Hall 6th May 2011”

The AV Referendum Count started at 4pm on the 6th May. A select few were there to observe the proceedings, Cllr Bridson, Cllr Clements, Cllr McCubbin, Cllr Steve Williams, Ann Davies.

The Leader of the Council (Cllr Jeff Green) and Deputy Leader of the Council (Cllr Lesley Rennie) came by for a short time to watch it happening in the Civic Hall.

In addition there were some members of the media. The count was done for the whole of Wirral (approximately 103,000 ballot papers). The spoilt ballot papers had to be adjudicated by the counting agents present. However despite the count being finished about 6pm the result is not yet declared.

Bill Norman is awaiting authorisation from Manchester as all North West results will be declared at the same time. Pictures are below!

Whilst we await the result here is the interesting list of people allowed by law to be present at the count (which is something that seemed to confuse some Wirral Council employees under instructions to turn people away!)

the Counting Officer and his staff
the Chief Counting Officer
the Regional Counting Officer
referendum agents
counting agents
Commission representatives
accredited observers
any other person permitted by you, as Counting Officer, to attend

Of course strangely this means the police don’t have a specific entitlement in law to be there, there was one rather bored looking police officer though.

AV Referendum Count
AV Referendum Count

Result – Bidston & St. James

The result in Bidston & St. James has been declared. However I as candidate dispute the result.

The reason why is that in my opinion it is not an accurate reflection of how I and many other people voted.

People can’t vote for one party and have their vote added to another party instead!

It is possible the amounts for each party were so mixed up (for example Labour’s tally included obvious spoilt ballot papers) that nobody can trust the result.

So I will be looking into it and reporting back to you.

Count

I will be writing blog posts at the count for Birkenhead, which will be held at the Pacific Road Theatre/Arts Centre tonight after 10pm.

With no internet access (as far as I know) it might be the next day before I upload them.

The referendum count will be held at Wallasey Town Hall tomorrow afternoon. That count will start at 4pm. As it’s for the whole of Wirral it will take some time!

I have been assured by an election official that all referendum ballots will be kept “under police guard” until then.

Results are expected in Birkenhead, depending on turnout from the wee hours of the morning. Depending on turnout and recounts (if it’s close) this’ll be some time after 1am as the AV referendum ballots will be counted and checked before the local election count starts.

Wards to watch are:-

A Labour ward in Birkenhead (where there’s been a strong Green campaign)
Oxton ward – Labour hoping to beat Cllr Stuart Kelly
Prenton ward – Labour hoping to gain a seat here against Cllr Holbrook

Losing Prenton and Oxton ward would be bad for Lib Dem morale, yet if Labour don’t win at least an extra seat in Birkenhead, their chances of running Wirral Council any time soon are far away. Having read Labour’s leaflets in Oxton & Prenton neither leaflets inspires me with confidence in their campaign.

Certainly Labour would like to win six seats in Birkenhead, yet the resurgent Green campaign, Lib Dem opposition here in Bidston & St. James and other “local difficulties” such as the anti-Cllr Denis Knowles brigade have diverted some of their deliverers that they would otherwise use in Prenton & Oxton. In addition various other factors have changed the course of the election.

Winning local elections (because of strict spending limits of about £1000) usually comes down to teams of people and their respective size.

I did hear Cllr Steve Foulkes earlier coming down my road (Boundary) and through a megaphone telling people to Vote for the Labour candidate, yet somebody used (not me) an expletive and it went quiet after. It’s nice to hear you’re so popular in Bidston & St. James Steve! 😉

Thanks for reminding Lib Dem voters it’s polling day though!

Thankfully peace and quiet has been restored (at least in Bidston & St. James). Looks like you’ll have to get up earlier Cllr Foulkes to stop the Liberals voting here!

I will be at the count (along with Leonora) to observe the adjudication of doubtful ballot papers. We picked up an extra three votes last year this way!

It’ll be interesting to see if the Lib Dems the Tory and UKIP candidates’s votes in every polling district this year. From the looks on Tory candidate’s faces, in some areas it won’t be a good night for them.

Question posed by voter

On the way to the polling station I was stopped by a voter and asked about this story in the Wirral Globe. Unfortunately he wouldn’t give me his name or address so I will just have to hope he reads this!

I’m sorry I couldn’t answer you straight away, however having no read the article I will make the following comments in relation to your questions.

As discussed as a male, 72-year old you are not likely to be in need of a midwife. However to address your points about the Wirral Primary Care Trust. It is democratically accountable to the public through its board and elected governors who are elected by the public.

GP consortia are accountable to the public through patient bodies too.

On a more personal note, as my wife and I have had a stillborn son in the past I value the role that midwives have with pregnant women and mothers. There are extremely high stillborn rates in the UK and obstetrics and gynaecology are services that are in need of reform if patients are to receive excellent care and treatment.

I am sorry if I did fob you off with telling you I am busy on polling day, but naturally because of the past bringing up such issues can upset my wife.

You asked me about charges to pregnant mothers. As far as I know there are none and none planned. Any service provided will (as most of the NHS is) be provided free.

Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention as pregnancy and childbirth are often things that receive little political attention in this country and should have a higher profile. Perhaps it is partly a sad reflection on our rather male-dominated political system?

Polling Day

Well polling day has arrived and I have been out to vote. Only took five minutes this year rather than the hours it took last year!

Here’s hoping they actually bother to count the Lib Dem votes this year; but I live in hope that one day things will run smoothly.

As to the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign, sending me out leaflets to deliver, a badge and so on to pick up halfway through polling day just goes to show me:-

a) I thought I was disorganised and left things to the last minute but when you have taxpayer’s money to burn why get value for money?

b) Most people have already voted so they aren’t going to change their minds.

If anyone is interested I can’t say how I voted till after the count (legal restriction).

My wonderful wife (and agent) has decided to take the day off. Oh well… I suppose I’m stuck at home looking after her instead of getting out the Lib Dem voters.

She’s a great agent, but like a lot of agents can suffer at the hands of the nasty people out there who break the laws surrounding elections and are abusive. Hope you get well soon Leonora and you’re up to coming along to the count!