What’s happening next in the 2018 elections of councillors on the Wirral?

What’s happening next in the 2018 elections of councillors on the Wirral?

What’s happening next in the 2018 elections of councillors on the Wirral?

Electoral Commission individual election observer ID John Brace 2018
Electoral Commission individual election observer ID John Brace 2018

The author would like to thank The Bureau of Investigative Journalism for its help with this story.

At these elections and indeed for the rest of 2018 I’m an accredited election observer (my photo ID for this was recently issued by the Electoral Commission as you can see above).
Continue reading “What’s happening next in the 2018 elections of councillors on the Wirral?”

Voting begins in LCRCA Mayoral election and Claughton byelection (polls close at 10 pm)

Voting begins in LCRCA Mayoral election and Claughton byelection (polls close at 10 pm)

Voting begins in LCRCA Mayoral election and Claughton byelection (polls close at 10 pm)

Holy Cross primary school Bidston polling station Bidston St James 4th May 2017 resized
Holy Cross primary school Bidston polling station Bidston St James 4th May 2017 resized

Today is polling day (polling stations are open between 7am and 10pm) in Bidston, Birkenhead.

Here in Bidston people receive two votes in the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Mayoral election.

Above is a photo of my local polling station. When I took it I was filming into the sunshine (which is not considered good practice), but it wasn’t until I viewed it I realised what the photo meant. The thumbnail is above or you can click on it for a better resolution photo.

The no stopping sign outside is an excellent summary of Wirral Council’s bossy attitude. The spikes on the gates represent Wirral Council’s bunker mentality.

The sign (up for one day only) represents a small nod towards democracy and the public having a say. Yes the public that Wirral Council are there to serve.

Secrecy is of course something Wirral Council enjoys as that way nobody can dare criticise how they decided something!

Perhaps I am reading too much into one photo I took.

Inside the polling station was a queue of people waiting to vote. However it wasn’t very busy and the Presiding Officer seemed keen to see us leave.

So polling day, the beginning, a new dawn, a new day. The end of something and the start of a new beginning.

Results of both elections are expected tomorrow.

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Employment Tribunal Day 6 of 10: Cross-examination of Surjit Tour (Part 2)

Employment Tribunal Day 6 of 10: Cross-examination of Surjit Tour (Part 2)

Employment Tribunal Day 6 of 10: Cross-examination of Surjit Tour (Part 2)

                                

Surjit Tour (Monitoring Officer (Wirral Council)) at the Coordinating Committee held on 15th June 2016
Surjit Tour (Monitoring Officer (Wirral Council)) at the Coordinating Committee held on 15th June 2016

This is a report of an Employment Tribunal hearing I attended, the matter had already been part heard and this was day 6 of 10. As far as I know there are no reporting restrictions. Brief details are below followed by the first part of a report based on my notes.

Venue: Tribunal Room 2, Third Floor, Liverpool Civil and Family Court Hearing Centre, 35 Vernon Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L2 2BX

Case reference: 2400718/16

Appellant: Mrs A. Mountney

Respondent: Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Employment Judge: Judge Robinson

Tribunal Members:
Mr AG Barker
Mrs JE Williams

Clerk: Lynne Quilty

Date: 6.2.2017

Time: 10.00 am


The following is a contemporaneous account of day 6 and continues from Employment Tribunal Day 6 of 10: Cross-examination of Surjit Tour (Part 1).

Mr Mountney referred Mr Tour to page 642 and asked him what was his response to number 6?

EJ Robinson asked to let him known of the provenance of the letter to Alison Mountney dated 12th January and asked for a paragraph?

Mr Mountney referred to answer eight with the response at the bottom. In elections, he referred to the appointment of staff above counter staff. He referred to ability and a named member of staff.

Surjit Tour stated he was incorrect, that staff were required after polls closed at the counting centres on the counting tables. This was a change to counting staff. Moving to the requirement for management approval, he pointed out the named member of staff was a poll clerk.

EJ Robinson asked who was responsible for the appointment of polling clerks? Surjit Tour replied that the appointment of polling clerks was the responsibility of Alison Mountney.

EJ Robinson said that at 10 o’clock the polls close and a poll clerk would be sat at the tables in the polling station?

Surjit Tour answered that a poll clerk would be supervised by a presiding officer, but there would be one or two poll clerks at each polling station.

Mr Mountney said he accepted it for what it is and asked a further question of Mr Tour. Mr Tour answered that if there was an issue with a member of staff employed it was not within the discretion of Alison Mountney and that the responsibility for suitability rested with Kate Robinson.

Mr Mountney asked Mr Tour a question about Kate Robinson to which Mr Tour answered that he didn’t recall Kate Robinson coming to him regarding that individual.

Mr Mountney referred Mr Tour to paragraph 29 of his witness statement and said as it was important he would go back to the first line. A whistleblowing concern had been made in 2015, Mrs Robinson says she told Mr Tour but Mr Tour says he can’t remember. He asked a question of Mr Tour around being made aware by Mrs Robinson.

Mr Tour said he didn’t recall being made aware of the issue at the time, but it had been made clearer in 2015.

Mr Mountney referred to the whistleblowing report and the reports starting at page 649.

Mr Tour asked for a page number? Mr Mountney referred to page 761. Mr Moore suggested it was 771. Mr Mountney confirmed it was 771.

Mr Mountney referred to the bottom of page 770, at the bottom of the page, 3rd line, P1, he asked if Mr Tour agreed to which Mr Tour answered yes.

EJ Robinson interrupted and said it was his fault but asked for a more explicit reference.

Mr Mountney stated page 770, 6.4.9, third line, P1. He stated that it was here that he never dismissed the integrity of the election was an issue. P2 never refers to him and asked how come is says that?

Mr Tour said he did not recall. Mr Mountney coming to Kate Robinson, he asked a further question to which Mr Tour replied Kate Robinson. Mr Mountney asked wouldn’t Mr Tour know?

Mr Tour answered referring to an incident, canvassing and how steps were taken.

Mr Mountney referred to 6.4.5 and at P2, some time after, people agreed Kate Robinson had made a verbal report to P1 about an alleged canvassing fraud, was Mr Tour told?

Mr Tour referred in his answer to internal audit and how the canvassing book had gone to the individual known as P1.

Mr Mountney asked if a report was made? Mr Tour said that he didn’t recall the conversation with Kate Robinson, but that individual therefore says Kate Robinson. Mr Tour answered that he didn’t recall, going on to refer to Bradfield and a canvassing issue.

Mr Mountney asked a question about fraud to which Surjit Tour answered yes. Mr Mountney asked if it was involving public money and he was a solicitor? Mr Tour answered yes. Mr Mountney referred to Mr Tour’s witness statement and matters concerning a polling clerk, he noted these were not issues that concerned fraud and asked a question.

Mr Tour answered that he had seen the context dealing with the issues and that the issues had been addressed. He referred to Mrs Bradfield, he was not belittling the issues, but there were other matters on his mind and his attention and focus had been on those things, he expected it would be dealt with by a manager.

Mr Mountney said he agreed it was, he couldn’t remember where but did it not state Kate Robinson was lying. Therefore it was raised, but Mr Tour had said it was not issue of concern to him. It was not a matter he would expect to be unresolved and pointed out that Mr Tour was the Borough Solicitor.

Mr Tour explained that at the time there was a governance report by Anna Klonowski in early September, the organisation was in turmoil and there were governance issues. In the grand scheme matters prevailing were important, but his attention and focus was on other issues.

Mr Mountney referring to those other issues, said that these election issues might affect the integrity of the elections.

Mr Tour said he was not aware the integrity of the elections was called into question. The issue of Bradfield was how the canvass was conducted as an example.

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What was the 2016 EU Referendum result on the Wirral and the UK?

What was the 2016 EU Referendum result on the Wirral and the UK?

                            

front of polling card EU Referendum 2016
front of polling card EU Referendum 2016

The 2016 EU Referendum result on Wirral was as follows:

Remain 88,931 (51.6%)
Leave 83,069 (48.4%)

137 ballot papers were rejected.

Total votes cast 172,137 (turnout 70.96%).

However nationally the result was different:

Leave 17,410,742
Remain 16,141,241

25,359 ballot papers were rejected.

Total votes cast 33,577,342. You can find a more detailed breakdown of the EU Referendum result on the Electoral Commission’s website.

However there were a number of things that happened during the EU Referendum campaign that could trigger a legal challenge to the result.

I outline below an email I sent yesterday to the Returning Officer Eric Robinson here on Wirral about a UKIP poster telling me to vote Leave propped up on the wall of my local polling station.

He sent me a very quick and polite reply back!



Dear Eric Robinson,

I went to vote today this morning at my polling station at

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
Gautby Road
Bidston
Wirral
CH41 7DU

which is a polling station for polling district AC in the Bidston and St. James ward.

When I left the polling station, I saw outside a few yards from the entrance to the polling station (still in the grounds of the school being used as a polling station) against a wall a large UKIP poster on corrugated plastic suggesting I vote leave.

Obviously it didn’t influence me as I have already voted, but I immediately brought it to the attention of one of your election staff who was in the corridor outside the room used for voting.

She immediately came with me and removed the UKIP poster which shouldn’t have been there and commented that "they keep sneaking in".

It was in a position that people had to pass to get in to the polling station, however I will point out it wasn’t there when I entered the polling station.

Please could you regard this as a recorded compliment to that member of staff for the efficient and effective way that they dealt with my query and removal of the poster.

I would also be keen to know if you in your capacity as Returning Officer will be writing to UKIP (and/or referring this matter to the police) reminding them that leaving posters outside polling station entrances propped up against walls suggesting which way people vote is not allowed!

Thank you,


John Brace


3/10/2016 UKIP have been in touch to state that they wouldn’t sanction what happened at the polling station detailed above.

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Where is your polling station (for Wirral voters) for the 2016 EU Referendum vote?

Where is your polling station (for Wirral voters) for the 2016 EU Referendum vote?

                                         

front of polling card EU Referendum 2016
front of polling card EU Referendum 2016

Today is polling day in the EU Referendum vote. Here is the question on the ballot paper.

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

Polling stations are open on the Wirral from 7.00 am and close at 10.00 pm. You don’t need your polling card to vote, but you will need to tell the polling clerk your name and address.

Here is a list of the addresses of the polling station (Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations EU Referendum Wirral).

The first letter of your unique electoral number (eg A) refers to the ward (in this case Bidston & St James). The second letter (eg E) refers to the polling district within that ward.

Each polling district has its own polling station.

Due to this being a national election and the results from various areas needing to be collated, the Electoral Commission estimates a result could be declared around 6.00 am on Friday 24th June 2016.

However if there are recounts, or the result is close, it could take longer before a final result is known for certain.

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