It seems the penalties for rigging an election are getting more severe with the son of a Tory councillor getting a custodial sentence for making false applications for proxy votes.
His father, a Tory councillor was charged too, but cleared. Some quotes from the article below:-
“It’s not enough for political parties to wait for the police to catch the bad apples, it is also up to those organisations to root out malpractices and any culture within their associations which condones or turns a blind eye to the corruption of our democratic process.”
“The court heard that Munir had used the names of real people and filled in forms to get them on the electoral register and then apply for proxy votes, but had used fake details and forged signatures.”
Although I realise that during elections many people working on a campaign are volunteers, not barristers (and not au fait with caselaw regarding elections and 200 pages of Electoral Commission advice) surely Ali Munir knew what he was doing was wrong (and if he didn’t why did he plead guilty)? Anyone he registered a proxy vote for would’ve been denied the chance to vote.
It’s the few “bad applies” in all parties that make the public think that all politicians are corrupt and on the make. There are many honest, hard-working councillors and MPs that do what they do out of a deep sense of public service and improving the quality of life for their fellow man.