Political

Conservative proxy vote scandal widens

Interesting information to be found if you read the latest proxy votes list for Thursday’s Winchester Council elections.

Since the news broke that a Conservative activist in Whiteley ward, John Hall, has been charged by the police with false registration information, false proxy voting application and making a false instrument, the council has issued the final list of proxy votes for Thursday’s elections.

Comparing this list with the previous list shows that six proxy votes in the Whiteley ward are no more. Of the six, two had John Hall down as the person to cast their vote. Another two had his wife, Sue Hall, and the last two had the wife of this year’s Conservative candidate down. It looks as if all six were taken out in suspicious circumstances, though of course we don’t yet know who knew what about what went on.

UPDATE: At the end of 2008, John Hall was convicted.