LABOUR MP Lindsay Roy yesterday offered to hold a recount in the Glenrothes by-election to clear up the row over missing voting records.
The SNP suffered an unexpected defeat when they lost the Westminster seat to Labour last November.
They are demanding an independent inquiry into what happened to the election registers, documents that record who voted but not who they voted for.
They had been held at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for safe keeping but it emerged they had gone missing when SNP councillor John Beare asked to see them shortly after the poll.
Nat MSP Tricia Marwick last week said an investigation was needed "to confirm that the election was conducted properly".
Roy said he was happy to co-operate with any probe, adding: "It's a matter of grave concern that the register has gone missing and I support a full investigation into why.
"However, I very much regret that Mrs Marwick has claimed the election was unfair, which is a very serious allegation.
"If her view of unfairness relates to the fact that the SNP lost, then she should accept the result with good grace.
"The SNP are obviously very unhappy that they didn't win the seat, especially when they weren't expecting to lose.
"But if necessary, I would be more than happy to attend a recount to verify the result."
But Marwick responded: "Lindsay Roy's ridiculous call for a recount shows his ignorance of Scotland's electoral system.
"This isn't about how people voted but who voted.
"The marked electoral register is an essential part of democratic process for both parties and individuals.
"Its disappearance should be as much of a worry for Mr Roy as it is for me.
"Westminster elections are Scottish secretary Jim Murphy's responsibility. I hope Lindsay Roy is asking him what he is doing to make sure the register is found."
The Scottish Court Service have confirmed that an investigation is being carried out into the missing register.
It's thought the records could have been removed by accident during renovation work at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
Former headteacher Roy beat Nationalist candidate Peter Grant by almost 7000 votes to win the seat.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/02/09/exclusive-lindsay-roy-offers-to-hold-recount-in-row-over-missing-glenrothes-voting-records-86908-21108945/
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6 comments:
Morning Monty. To think that Lindsay Roy was a head teacher! He hasn't a clue. As far as Tricia Marwick is concerned, the quote in the Herald was "it was neither fair or unfair". I noticed she was very careful as to what she said.
No wonder I think our education system is being dumbed down with Roy as supposedly one of the heid yins.
Registers? We don't need no steenkin registers!
Morning/Afternoon monty. Aye Labour don't want registers, they have a tendency to show that they have committed an illegal act
Scotland's shame - crooked elections from a crooked government.
What is this stupid little labour puppet on about. You only have a recount if the vote was very close. This was a Labour landslide and the SNP wish to see who voted but not how.
Can this last minute labour choice mouthpiece not grasp this ?
As each day passes by my dislike for Labour grows.
I have now put Labour alongside my other major dislike, screaming doonhamers on the terracing's .
The only comment I have on that bye-election is that an extra-ordinary amount of Fifers take their holiday in November. Indeed, thousands more than in other parts of the country where bye-elections were held.
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