The Conservative Party could mount a legal challenge over the General Election after it emerged thousands of postal ballots have not been delivered on time

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... vered.html

The General Election could be hit by a series of legal challenges after it emerged that thousands of postal ballots have not been delivered on time.

At least 13 constituencies have been affected by the fiasco, eight of which are marginal seats.

The crisis has been caused by councils not printing enough ballot papers and Royal Mail not delivering on time, it is claimed.

One Tory source raised the prospect of wholesale legal challenges after polling day: 'The main thing to remember is, in most constituencies, Conservatives do better on the postal votes.

'So this is likely to be disproportionately more damaging to the Tories than anyone else.'

Other parties could also mount challenges, the source added.

'What could happen is that all sorts of results could be challenged. We could end up with a complete mess after the General Election, with people questioning the results.'

Chingford & Woodford Green, where former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith is defending a wafer-thin majority of 1,262, is one of the affected constituencies, sources claim.

Yesterday he urged both Royal Mail and local councils to take action, saying: 'We are demanding they act immediately.'

Waltham Forest Council, which is within the constituency, said: 'Our postal votes were sent out on time, before the deadline. If anyone is having any problems, please contact us as early as possible and we will try to resolve it.'

At least 2,600 postal votes were sent out late in North West Essex, where Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, is standing.

Some postal voters in Rutland and Stamford – where Tory Alicia Kearns is standing – have yet to receive their ballot papers.

The council, however, insisted that it issued the postal votes 'on time' to Royal Mail.

Six affected seats are in Scotland, where the school term ends earlier than elsewhere in the UK. Some voters went on holiday abroad before their postal ballots arrived.


Cathy Bloor, from Aberdeenshire, told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that she had not received her postal vote before going away and cannot now vote.

'I've voted in General Elections all my life and to miss this one just makes me quite upset,' she said. 'I just feel like I've really missed out.'

Edinburgh and Fife councils have set up emergency voting booths so that postal voters who have not received their ballots can vote in person.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'Where concerns have been raised, such as in Scotland, we have investigated and confirmed all votes are being delivered as soon as they enter our network.'

[SpacePhoenix]

In theory could the results of the whole election be declared null and void or can it only be individual constituencies?

[BenacreNick]

It's all a bit too late now, this should have been raised by the Council's a couple of weeks ago ?

[chickenwittle]

It’s ironic the Tories have sat back and watched Royal Mail being dismantled for years and now want to moan about it .

[funkflex55]

It’s ironic the Tories have sat back and watched Royal Mail being dismantled for years and now want to moan about it .

Exactly. The Tories aren't winning regardless of how RM do or don't deliver the paperwork. You've only got to walk around to see just how bad his country has become. I was watching a show with Bucharest on the other day. I thought Romania was quite poor. However, Bucharest didn't have s**t all over pavements, pot holes all over every road or people chasing each other around with machetes.

[Mr Rush]

It’s ironic the Tories have sat back and watched Royal Mail being dismantled for years and now want to moan about it .

I said a couple of months ago that this would happen. It's right out of the US election playbook.

[HTPostman]

It’s a bit like the boy who cried wolf but in reverse. With previous delays it’s pretty obvious it’s the fault of Royal Mail but they’ve continually trotted out the standard statement saying nothing to see here or blaming staff illness.

On this occasion I genuinely don’t think it’s RM’s issue, but they’ll be the scapegoat. Serves them right.

[BenacreNick]

Neither do I HTPostman, but RM is an easy target to blame, especially given the very poor service in recent times.

We've been working really hard in the last few weeks to get through the mountain of election related material and all we get is being slagged off in the newspapers and on social media.

Something is not right with these missing postal votes, and I think the Councils should be double checking at their end, but I don't think it's us ?

[mjd24]

It’s ironic the Tories have sat back and watched Royal Mail being dismantled for years and now want to moan about it .

A bit like the old guy last week moaning at me that his Spectator magazine was late. He couldnt seem to grasp the link between privatisation and posties rounds being unachievable.

[enskied]

I think they've got a bloody nerve. Royal Mail were dragged kicking and screaming before a parliamentary committee and exposed as useless barefaced liars.
What did they choose to do about it ?
sweet Fanny Adams.! Let the general public, small business, doctors and hospitals put up and get used to it.
Now it directly affects them, well it diabolical.
Get off their fat arses and do something about it for everyone the useless gits.

[WalkerX]

It’s ironic the Tories have sat back and watched Royal Mail being dismantled for years and now want to moan about it .

I said a couple of months ago that this would happen. It's right out of the US election playbook.

Absolutely this.
It was always going to happen. They`re so predictable.

[WalkerX]

It’s ironic the Tories have sat back and watched Royal Mail being dismantled for years and now want to moan about it .

I said a couple of months ago that this would happen. It's right out of the US election playbook.

Absolutely this.
It was always going to happen. They`re so predictable.