Five individuals have been arrested in connection with an investigation into alleged electoral fraud in Tameside, where concerns were raised that fake independent candidates were used to sway the outcome of a local election in May.
Arrests Made in Ashton-under-Lyne
Greater Manchester police confirmed that four men and a woman, aged between 23 and 47, were taken into custody on suspicion of fraud on Thursday morning in the Ashton-under-Lyne area. The arrests are linked to the process of how candidates were nominated and represented in the ward, and whether it complied with relevant legislation and electoral procedures.
Investigation into Independent Candidates
The investigation follows reports by The Mill, a Manchester-based publication, which looked into allegations that individuals were encouraged to stand as independent candidates in the St Peter's ward election to split the opposition vote and benefit the Labour Party. Labour candidate Atta Ul-Rasool won the St Peter's ward seat with 177 votes more than independent candidate Ahmed Mehmood, making him the only Labour candidate to secure a seat in Tameside.
Two other independent candidates, Marie Fairhurst and Muhammad Ali, together received 291 votes. According to The Mill, both candidates had little visible campaign presence and did not respond to attempts to contact them during the election campaign. The Tameside Correspondent reported that Fairhurst later stated she was not aware she was standing as a candidate.
Challenge to Election Result
Kaleel Khan, a councillor who managed Mehmood's campaign, told The Mill that he intends to challenge the election result at Tameside council. No charges have been brought as yet, and the police investigation is ongoing.
