A High Court judge has ruled that an election court should sit in the Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency on 13 September, to decide whether Phil Woolas can continue as an MP.
As we reported last month, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Elwyn Watkins is challenging the result of the election in Oldham, alleging a breach of the Representation of the People Act (1983). Mr Watkins claims that literature distributed by the Labour party “contained numerous misleading and erroneous claims” regarding his personal character and reputation, and that of his campaign.
Today the BBC reports:
Two High Court Judges will travel from London to the constituency to sit as the rarely-convened Election Court.
On Wednesday, Mr Justice Griffith Williams set the timetable for the court, which will sit in the Oldham constituency for five days.
The judge, sitting at London’s High Court, said: “It seems to me that it must be resolved before Parliament reassembles.”
Read the full story here.
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4 Comments
Just what the Lib Dems need right now- a major bye election defeat.
How could we be defeated if we’re not the incumbent party?
The hearing starts on 13 September, but Parliament will be sitting for two weeks before that. The early September pre-Conference session has been re-instated. So, his Lordship is wrong to suggest the matter will be resolved “before Parliament reassembles”
Youse would be contesting, I assume.