July 30, 2007

Row over poll due to end

A legal challenge to the controversial end of a Burnley Council election count was today due to be made in the High Court.

The British National Party will discover today if a full court hearing will be staged into the Rosegrove with Lowerhouse ballot in May. Lawyers representing four named voters will argue that their case against Paul Reynolds, who won the ballot by drawing lots, should be contested at trial.

After a recount, BNP candidate Peter Rowe and Labour's Mr Reynolds were found to have polled 489 votes each in the neck-and-neck Rosegrove ballot, On the first count, Mr Reynolds, of Florence Street, Burnley, polled two less votes than Mr Rowe, of Cowper Street. But the recount unearthed one Labour vote, thought to have been miscounted as a Conservative vote, and one ballot paper, at first believed to be void, which was reinstated in favour of Mr Reynolds.

With the election tied the two men drew lots from a ballot box and Mr Rowe lost.

Last May a petition signed by Michelle Pilling, Scott Atkinson, Susan McDevitt and Ian Smith was lodged with Manchester County Court, disputing the outcome. This legal challenge has now reached the High Court and is set to be heard by Mr Justice Teare in courtroom number 25 today. The high court judge will decided whether the case merits a full trial hearing at a later date.

Returning officer Steve Rumbelow, Burnley Council's chief executive, has previously insisted that the correct procedures were followed at the May count.

Coun Reynolds was unavailable for comment. But Coun Lilian Clark, who serves for Labour with Coun Reynolds in Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, accused the BNP of trying to court publicity through the challenge. She said: "I don't really see any other reason for them doing it because I don't see how they have anything to gain."

But Coun Sharon Wilkinson, who leads the BNP group on the council, said: "It's the electors themselves who are petitioning and they obviously feel that the result was inconclusive. I hope they will find that something can be done about that."

Whatever the outcome of the case it will not alter the overall balance of power in Burnley. Either way the ruling Lib Dem and Tory alliance will still hold enough combined seats to retain overall control. The Labour party currently has 17 councillors and the BNP just four, after losing two further seats in the May polls.

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unless the so called electors who are challenging this decision are receiving legal aid to do so, then i really wouldnt worry, cos its more money the bnp will have wasted trying to beat the Justice system of this country which they claim to uphold.

of course it also has another benefit less money in griffins pockets.

flowers

Antifascist said...

Anything that stops the pig-farmer getting more cash in his pocket, is fine by me.

Anonymous said...

"Anything that stops the pig-farmer getting more cash in his pocket, is fine by me."


There was a very good film made a few years ago called 'Leon the Pig Farmer'. Nick Griffin's daddy has a lot in common with the leading character which makes you wonder why he wrote the Mindbenders not once but twice. Griffin's second edition was more extreme than the first and bought him the publicity he craved :) Something tells me he's about to get some more publicity :)

Anonymous said...

From the NWN blog :)


Griffin fails to pay up again !

Do you remember this below article from this blog on 4th.July 2007 ?

Griffin promised the BNP would pay the funds for fighting this Court action. Guess what ? Nick Griffin again reneges on the payment, and thus leaving Burnley BNP people with court costs of over £2,500 +.

These hard working BNP people should not have to suffer the truly shocking behaviour of the BNP party leader trying to avoid payment.

This site would like to ask BNP members and supporters to send donations to help these people to: Chris Jackson C/O. PO BOX 15, Todmorden, OL14 7NQ.

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Local BNP activists take legal action -

Rosegrove & Lowerhouse Ward - Burnley - JOHN ROWE

After the 'drawing of lots' to decide the outcome of this ward in Burnley at last May's elections, John Rowe, plus other local activists are now taking legal action costing a great deal of money.
This could result in yet another BNP Councillor in Burnley.

Why has it been left to Burnley activists to finance this action and not BNP HQ ?

The Burnley activists need a Barrister to help in their court action, so why has BNP HQ NOT provided any expertise both in legal terms and elections ?

Why has the BNP HQ left Burnley BNP to do it all themselves ?

Just what is the purpose of BNP HQ ?

BNP HQ is fully aware of this possible winning of this council seat.

Of course, Nick Griffin is more interested in trying to rake money in, in some field in Derbyshire for the RWB. So no time to win a Council seat, eh Nick !