A friend has suggested a practical way out of the farce of the candidate who has been declared a councillor despite receiving fewer votes than someone who 'lost' in South Holland.
The sticking point appears to be the law that says once the result was declared by the Returning Officer, only an expensive petition to the High Court can change it - despite the fact that the Returning Officer has now revealed that after late discovery a mislaid box of voting papers he knows that the result previously declared was wrong...
My friend suggests that if the Conservative who really lost, (but who was declared the winner) stood down in the interests of fair-play, then the Conservative who really won (but who was declared the loser) could be officially co-opted as a full member of the Council, presumably with the full support of all duly elected councillors who surely appreciate that a genuine mistake has been made.
This solution appears to be win-win: it would save lawyers and court fees (inevitably paid for by the council taxpayer) and the bother of a High Court action, and more importantly, it would reflect the wishes of the voters of Spalding.
And it would surely end the ridiculous farce and strike a blow for democracy!
Could it work? Watch this space...
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