Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Fraduantly removed from the electoral role
I turned up at the polling station yesterday morning - clutching my polling card - only to find that I had been removed from the electoral role. After the polling card had been issued, someone (who I have never heard of) had rung the council, removed their name and added theirs. I don't recognise the name of the person at all, and as far as I know they have no connection to my flat or the other to flats in the house.
The staff at the polling station were great, the Civic Centre issued a new number over the phone and I was able to vote. But still a bit freaked out and worried that this happened. I was wondering if it had happened to anyone else or whether it's just a one off and I've been unlucky?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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I know what it's for Alan. But since the parties hadn't bothered me at all in the six week run-up to the election ( I'm on the 3rd floor ) I thought it unlikely that they would do so later.
It was the aggressive manner that raised my hackles.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Of course, you do, John. But many other members of HoL may not. And we've got a General Election coming. And hopefully a few by-elections.
The Party tellers may not even briefly explain why they're asking. Some might not even know. (Many are just volunteers helping out for a few hours.)
But the practice does make some voters suspicious that the secrecy of the ballot is being compromised. So I was wondering if it's worth suggesting to the Electoral Commission that their Guidance could be displayed in every polling station. Or perhaps it is, and I didn't notice?
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Permalink Reply by 1rk254kmc0kqw on
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Hi Alan,
In response to, "And hopefully a few by-elections" do you think this is likely to happen in Haringey? And in a scenario where a Councillor does not listen to residents' views at all, whose decision is it to arrange a by-election?
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Jerry, councillors can ignore voters almost entirely as they please. There's no mechanism for recall. Basically they resign if and when they want to.
The Localism Act 2011 abolished the old Standards Board which could and sometimes did suspend councillors. The Act replaced local Standards Committees which also had sanctions, with toothless new committees where councillors themselves can say: "Tut-tut". Or in very serious cases: "Tut-tut-tut."
Nobody can make councillors listen to residents. Or do advice "surgeries". They only need to turn up to a meeting at least every six months. They could leave Haringey and go to live elsewhere
Their parties can take away the whip. And remove them from committees. So they'll get only the basic allowance - in Haringey £10,500 pa. taxable - but not any SRA (Special Responsibility Allowance). Which is a real sanction.
Why do I imagine there may be some by-elections? I'm still naive enough to think that for a few decent people, the full horror of another round of huge cuts might turn their stomachs. Or perhaps they may finally grasp the realities of some of Kober and Strickland's right-wing, Tory-style "regeneration" policies.
Of course, we can't assume this will just happen. There's an essential job for people outside to help expose the rottenness and decay at the heart of Koberville.
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Thanks Alan for your response. I never knew that recalls were abolished for local Government, am I correct in saying they are also abolished for MPs, MEPs, GLA members etc.?
I totally agree with you on, "There's an essential job for people outside to help expose the rottenness and decay at the heart of Koberville."
Perhaps there will be a huge surge of Labour councillors going Independent too as well as By-elections
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Jerry, there never was a recall for any of these in the UK system. It's a feature of some other countries. Have a look at Wikipedia.
What was abolished was the Standards Board for England. Set up in 2000 after the Cash-for-Questions scandals and the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life. (1994).
But then abolished by the Coalition. Since, quite obviously, ethical standards among politicians are an unnecessary and wasteful luxury.
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I was asked for my polling card as I was going in by a Lib Dem member. I guessed why they were asking but it was only after I declined to give it that they explained why they wanted it.
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Permalink Reply by Betty Careless on
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I'd diligently done the voter registration and received my polling card - apparently I was removed from the register because someone phoned the council after the card had been delivered and told them I no longer live at that address.
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I suspect (although it's just a guess) that the person wanted o get onto the electoral register for credit checks, etc rather than voting fraud.
I'd check your credit report ( you can do it free with https://www.noddle.co.uk/ or there are various other sites too) to ensure nothing is amiss
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Hi John D,
Who shouted at you? Gina Adamou?
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"I got a bit huffy when Gina shouted at me"
As Osbawn suggests, for such vestigially reflex vital signs from Effingham Road, let us all be effing thankful. We shall not hear their like again till May 2018.
No tellers of any stripe impeded my path to or from the ballot box at SHIS. Was this because they couldn't get their arses out of bed before 7.30 on Elections morn?
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