Theft Of Proxy Votes In Brighton

EDM number 1943 in 1992-93, proposed by Graham Allen on 05/05/1993.

That this House is appalled at reports of electoral fraud by Conservative campaigners in Brighton involving the theft of proxy votes from the old, the infirm and the housebound; notes that those forced by this blatant abuse of the democratic process to cancel their proxy votes in the last local elections included a man with Alzheimer's disease, a partially blind woman and an 80 year old who was frequently in hospital; notes with interest that the number of proxy voters in some Brighton wards has apparently suddenly risen by some two-thirds; calls upon the Conservative Party to dissociate itself from the actions of and hold an inquiry into their Brighton Party organisation, expelling all those responsible for this flagrant breach of electoral law; calls for a review of the format of the absent voters form to prevent its misuse by Conservative canvassers in the future; endorses the call by Bob Divine, the Returning Officer for the Brighton District of East Sussex, that all those who believe their votes have been taken without their consent should contact the Police; and calls for an inquiry to ascertain the extent of this outrage nationally.

This motion has been signed by a total of 31 MPs.