Postal votes scam casts a dark shadow over cradle of democracy

LAST June, the voters of Birmingham went to the polls in what proved to be an extraordinary election to their local council.

Large numbers of genuine voters turned up at polling stations to vote in the locals only to learn that they could not be given a ballot paper.

Unknown to themselves they had been put on the postal voters’ list, sent a postal ballot and, to their surprise, had in fact already cast a postal vote in the election.