Back on council – after another election blunder

A MAN who surrendered his council seat when it was discovered he had been awarded it due to a counting error is back on the council again – thanks to another electoral blunder.
Labour’s Ian Johnson is again a member of Poulton-with-Fearnhead Parish Council.
He was awarded the Bruche ward seat on the council when it was discovered his only opponent in a by-election – Liberal Democrat Peter Edwards – had not filled in his nomination papers correctly.
A Warrington Borough Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that two nominations were submitted for the Bruche Ward of the Poulton-with- Fearnhead Parish Council by-election. One of the nomination forms received was invalid as it was not completed as required by law.
“This means that the candidate who submitted the only valid nomination form is legally declared elected in an uncontested by election.”
The by-election arose from an arithmetical error at the count in last May’s election.
An independent investigation into the election later revealed that Mr Edwards had received more votes than Mr Johnson, who was formally elected.
As a result, Mr Johnson stood down from the council – but Labour controversially called a by-election.
Liberal Democrats accused Labour of wasting public money – possibly as much as £3,000 – by calling the election when they should have allowed Mr Edwards to be elected unopposed.