Leading pollster Lord Robert Hayward has voiced significant alarm over voting practices in the critical Gorton and Denton by-election, following a damning report from election monitoring group Democracy Volunteers. The organisation claims to have observed illegal 'family voting' in a staggering 68 per cent of the polling stations it monitored during Thursday's vote.
High Levels of Illegal Activity Reported
Democracy Volunteers, which monitors elections across Europe, deployed four accredited observers to the by-election. Their team visited 22 of the constituency's 45 polling stations, spending between 30 and 45 minutes at each location. In a report published as polling stations closed at 10pm, they stated they witnessed 'concerningly high levels of family voting' in Gorton and Denton.
The practice of 'family voting' – where two voters confer, collude, or direct each other on how to cast their ballot – was made illegal by the Election Bill in 2023. This legislation, known as the Ballot Secrecy Act, was specifically designed to prevent individuals from watching family members vote and potentially influencing their decisions.
Unprecedented Observations
John Ault, director of Democracy Volunteers, emphasised the severity of their findings. 'Based on our assessment of today's observations, we have seen the highest levels of family voting at any election in our 10-year history of observing elections in the UK,' he stated. The organisation rarely issues reports on election night, but deemed this data significant enough to warrant immediate publication.
Ault provided comparative data to underscore the scale of the issue. 'In the other recent Westminster parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, we saw family voting in 12 per cent of polling stations, affecting 1 per cent of voters. In Gorton and Denton, we observed family voting in 68 per cent of polling stations, affecting 12 per cent of those voters observed.'
Pollster's Strong Reaction
Lord Hayward, who introduced and steered the Ballot Secrecy Act through Parliament with all-party support, told The Independent he was 'very disappointed' by the report. 'The Ballot Secrecy Act which I introduced and steered through both Houses into law should have stopped such practices,' he said. Hayward confirmed he intends to raise serious concerns about the voting process and will be discussing the details further with Democracy Volunteers.
The prominent pollster added that he also plans to engage with the Electoral Commission and government officials regarding these matters. The Elections Bill was introduced following an independent review that examined cases like the 2014 Tower Hamlets mayoral election, which was declared void due to corrupt and illegal practices.
High-Stakes Political Context
The Gorton and Denton by-election has become a fiercely contested battle, with Labour, the Greens, and Reform UK all standing a realistic chance of victory. According to the Britain Elects polling aggregator, the race is exceptionally tight, with Greens at 31 per cent, Reform UK at 30 per cent, and Labour at 29 per cent.
This represents a dramatic shift from the 2024 general election, where the seat was Labour's seventh safest, with a commanding majority of 13,413 and a 51 per cent share of the vote. The outcome of this by-election is being closely watched, with some observers suggesting the fate of Keir Starmer's premiership could be influenced by the result.
The allegations of 'family voting' add another layer of controversy to an already tense political contest, raising questions about electoral integrity and the effectiveness of recent legislative measures designed to protect ballot secrecy.
