Candidate tells court of ‘fraud’ at by-election count won by Reform MP

The candidate who came last in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election has launched a legal challenge against the result on the basis there was “fraud” at the count.

English Constitution Party candidate Graham Moore received 50 votes, or a 0.15% share of the vote, in the May election, which saw Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin claim the seat with 12,645 votes, just six more than the Labour candidate.

Giving evidence in the trial of his election petition challenge at Chester Crown Court on Monday, Mr Moore spoke about the “statistical impossibility” of receiving 50 votes, which he said was the exact number he received when standing in the Tooting by-election in 2016.

He told the trial, sitting before high court judges Mr Justice Spencer and Mr Justice Bryan: “I need the court to focus on process, because process is key.”

Mr Moore, who represented himself in the hearing, added: “It’s not the first time it’s happened but, most importantly, when I’ve seen it happen at other counts no one has ever pushed it forward to an election hearing and explained the method and operation of fraud to two high court judges.”

He said he and his count agents had seen an estimated 116 ballots with votes cast for his party on.

Mr Moore told the court votes were separated at tables around the edge of the count hall but at tables in the centre, where bundles were counted, there was “chaos”.

He told the court: “I’m not suggesting that I have won this election. I have never said that. We’re not really interested in whether it would be Labour or Conservative or even Reform.”

Mr Moore said he did not know whether the loss of votes which he said he saw was down to error or fraud.

“I don’t want to cast aspersions, there’s some lovely people who work at the council,” he said.

He compared the situation to a bank where there was a “dodgy cashier”, adding: “It doesn’t mean everybody in the bank is crooked.”

Fifteen candidates stood in the by-election, called after former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit following a conviction for punching a constituent.

The Conservative candidate came in third place with 2,341 votes.

Mr Moore said: “I was concerned that the Conservative vote was so low, if I was trying to look for who they was taking votes off of I would say they were taking votes off the Conservatives. But we don’t know that, that’s speculation.”

The petition has been made against two respondents, Ms Pochin, who was legally represented but not present in court, and returning officer Stephen Young.

More than 40 of Mr Moore’s supporters were in the public gallery for the hearing.

The trial is listed for three days.