Reform candidate opens court battle after losing election on ‘coin toss'
Liz Williams was beaten by Hannah Robson, a Green party candidate, in May's local elections, after several counts left them tied on 889 votes.
The counsellor for the Littletons ward, in Worcestershire, was then chosen at random. Two ballot papers were placed in a box and Ms Robson's name was drawn out to secure her the victory for the county council seat.
Now Ms Williams has handed an 'election petition' to the High Court in London, claiming the result should be declared void as the victory was decided by a 'toss of the coin'.
At a preliminary hearing this week, Mrs Justice Yip said the petition, naming Ms Robson and Vic Allison, the deputy returning officer, as respondents, will be decided at the High Court later this year.
According to Ms Williams's petition, the 'result was determined only by folding and placing two used election ballot papers into a ballot box and the deputy returning officer pulling one out'.
The petition states the process was 'open to fraud and corruption' and did not allow the candidates time to seek legal advice before they were 'pressured into accepting the process in principle'.
Ms Williams said she was not able to 'witness the entire process without obstruction'.
She added: 'I could not see the box for all of the preparation and was not included in that.
'I did not agree to a third person shuffling the papers... Only the returning officer should have had their hand in the box.'
Footage posted online shows the returning officer putting his hand into a large black box and pulling out a slip of paper, before declaring the winner.
Ms Robson was said to have won by 890 to 889 votes.
Ms Robson was not represented during the preliminary hearing this week, but Timothy Straker KC, representing the returning officer, said he would apply to dismiss Ms Williams' petition later this year.
It is not the first time a council election in the UK has ended in a dead heat.
In Blyth in 2007, the winner in one ward was chosen by the drawing of straws, while a candidate in Yorkshire in 2022 offered to play poker to decide the winner, before going on to draw straws.
Electoral Commission guidance states: 'When two or more candidates have the same number of votes, and the addition of a vote would entitle any of those candidates to be declared elected, you must decide between the candidates by lot.
'Whichever candidate wins the lot is treated as though they had received an additional vote that enables them to be declared elected.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hulk Hogan rips off his shirt at RNC in support of Trump in resurfaced clip after WWE star's sudden death
Former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan famously ripped off his shirt in support of Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention last summer, in a resurfaced clip following his death. Hogan spoke at the RNC on behalf of Trump as part of his re-election campaign. The WWE legend's death was announced by TMZ on Thursday (24 July). He was 71. Medics were reportedly called to Hogan's Clearwater, Florida, home Thursday morning. In May, a spokesperson for the retired wrestling legend, 71, told TMZ that he had undergone 'a little fusion procedure' on his neck.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Migrant hotel threatens closure if just asylum-seeking men are housed on site
A migrant hotel has warned it will close if the Home Office begins placing men at the site instead of families. The Park Hotel in Diss, Norfolk, said it is currently contracted to accommodate families only and has made clear to the Home Office that it 'will have no alternative but to close' if that changes. In the statement shared to social media the hotel said: 'The Park Hotel has been contracted by the Home Office to provide accommodation for families. 'This arrangement presently remains in place, despite recent public statements suggesting otherwise. 'We have advised the Home Office and other stakeholders that should this situation change, and we are formally notified that the hotel will no longer operate as a family-only establishment, we will have no alternative but to close the Hotel.' It said there are currently 'vulnerable families and children staying at the hotel – many of whom are feeling frightened and uncertain about recent events at the Hotel and their futures'. 'We ask for understanding and sensitivity from both the public and the media during this time, as we continue to provide support to those in our accommodation,' the statement added. It comes amid mounting local tensions over the use of the hotel to house asylum seekers, with around 60 protesters gathering outside the premises on Wednesday night to voice their anger at the Government's decision. They were met by around 30 counter-protesters from campaign group Stand Up to Racism, who held signs reading 'refugees welcome'. The Home Office has not commented directly on the hotel's warning but has previously said the use of hotels is a temporary measure and all placements are made following risk assessments. The hotel has long served as a local business and venue for tourism, weddings and events. The Park Hotel refused to comment when approached by the PA news agency.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ministers urged to explain plans to re-establish extraditions to Hong Kong
Ministers have been urged to explain plans which would once again allow Britain to extradite people to Hong Kong. The move could put at risk dissident Hongkongers who have fled to the UK to avoid recrimination by the Chinese government, a senior Conservative warned. Shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns urged the Government to ensure 'protections will be put in place to ensure no Hongkonger, CCP (Chinese Community Party) critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement'. The UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong was suspended by the then-Tory government after a new national security law was imposed on the territory by China in 2020. The treaty meant Hong Kong could request that someone living in the UK suspected of a crime at home could be handed over to face justice, and vice versa. Fears that the law could lead to human rights abuses were behind the UK's reasoning to put the agreement on ice. Ministers have now introduced a law change in the Commons which would tweak how Hong Kong is designated under the 2003 Extradition Act. The statutory instrument introduced in the Commons on July 17 would effectively re-establish an extradition route with Hong Kong, as well as Zimbabwe. It also changes how Chile is classified under the Act because the South American country has signed an international extradition treaty. In a letter to shadow home secretary Chris Philp seen by the PA news agency, security minister Dan Jarvis suggested the change was needed as no extradition to Hong Kong can currently be made 'even if there were strong operational grounds to do so'. Mr Jarvis added: 'The way to resolve this situation is to de-designate Hong Kong and Zimbabwe from the Act so that we can co-operate with them on the case-by-case ad hoc basis available for non-treaty partners. 'The safety and security of our citizens is our top priority. 'Ensuring that territories are correctly designated under the Act will ensure that the UK can accept extradition requests in a lawful and timely way to ensure the public is not put at risk.' Writing in response to Mr Jarvis, shadow minister Ms Kearns questioned why the Government had taken the step, as she said the situation in Hong Kong had 'worsened' in the years since the national security law was introduced. She pointed to the case of Jimmy Lai, the 77-year-old British national and proprietor of the Apple Daily newspaper, who is facing detention by the Chinese government, as well as other critics of Beijing. 'Has the Government assessed political freedom and the rule of law have been returned to Hong Kong, or have you decided these issues are no longer saleable alongside the 'reset' in relations between the UK and China?' Ms Kearns asked in her letter. In a post on social media, she added: 'I urge the Government to give urgent reassurances on how this system will be safely managed and what protections will be put in place to ensure no Hong Konger, CCP critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement.' The Hong Kong national security law criminalises anything considered to be secessionist from China, and has led to a crackdown on critics of Beijing. Some 150,000 Hongkongers have moved to the UK under a special visa scheme launched in early 2021, after the law was introduced. Since coming to power, Labour has sought to reset relations with China with the aim of boosting trade, after the Conservatives took an increasingly hawkish attitude towards the country while they were in office. The Home Office, which is responsible for extradition law, has been contacted for comment.
