Campbell highlights electoral seat '˜theft'

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has called for action against electoral fraud to ensure the 'theft' of a Parliamentary seat cannot occur. During Cabinet Office Questions in Parliament the DUP MP cited the huge rise in proxy vote applications within the Foyle Constituency.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2017 - 
Westminster General Election 2017
Gregory Campbell (DUP) pictured at the election count at Foyle Arena Derry for Foyle and East Londonderry.
Photo by Freddie Parkinson / Press Eye.Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2017 - 
Westminster General Election 2017
Gregory Campbell (DUP) pictured at the election count at Foyle Arena Derry for Foyle and East Londonderry.
Photo by Freddie Parkinson / Press Eye.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2017 - Westminster General Election 2017 Gregory Campbell (DUP) pictured at the election count at Foyle Arena Derry for Foyle and East Londonderry. Photo by Freddie Parkinson / Press Eye.

Speaking from Westminster Mr Campbell said: “Between the General Elections in 2015 and 2017 in Foyle there was a near 300% rise in the number of proxy votes with nearly a thousand extra votes cast in this way.

“The Foyle constituency was won with a majority of just 169 votes and many people have specifically cited the constituency as a clear case of electoral fraud and the “theft” of a seat in the House of Commons.

“There must be action taken to ensure that election results are not influenced through electoral fraud and the situation in Foyle does not arise again. Foyle was one of the closest contests but was not an isolated case.

The pattern of proxy voting in Northern Ireland requires particular investigation. There is no apparent rational explanation as to why the number of proxy votes across Northern Ireland doubled between 2015 and 2017.

“The increase has not been uniform across constituencies however, with dramatic rises confined to certain areas. At the last General Election around 55% of all proxy vote applications were from just 5 constituencies and all these were won by Sinn Fein.”