News from Sheffield Labour

Commons votes for Polling Stations to remain open after 10pm

Penistone and Stocksbridge MP, Angela Smith today saw Tory Ministers accept a Lords amendment that will allow polling stations to remain open if people are queuing to vote.

The change means that the terrible experience of some voters in Penistone during the last general election should not happen again.

People might remember that in some areas queues had built up and when the time reached 10.00pm the doors of the polling station were closed.

Commenting, Angela said;

“After, what happened at the last general election when a number of my constituents were denied their democratic right to vote it is pleasing that at last in future polling stations will offer the opportunity to cast a vote to those queuing at that time.

“In a modern democracy it is only right that those wishing vote and who have turned up at the polling station before the close of polls should be allowed to vote.

In the same vote the House of Commons voted by 334 to 292 to accept a Lords amendment that will delay the boundary review until 2018. This means the Angela’s constituency of Penistone & Stocksbridge survives for at least another 7 years.

Commenting on this, Angela said;

“The House of Commons has given its verdict on this gerrymandering attempt by the Tories to fix the outcome of the next general election. It was no coincidence that the new boundaries favoured only one party, the Tory party. While we all should accept the principle of all votes being worth the same, to deliberately attempt to gerrymander the next election was wrong.

“Not only that but in the process the government has wasted many millions of pounds on this review, money which could and should have been spent elsewhere.

“I also remain stunned that Tory and LibDem Ministers should have resisted attempts to resolve problems relating to queues at close of poll; in the end, however, common sense has prevailed and I’m pleased to see that in future these problems should be avoided.”

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