Lots of questions are being asked in Glenrothes today, site of the by-election in November which Labour held with an unexpectedly comfortable majority.
The story broke in the Fife Courier earlier that the SNP's request to inspect the marked electoral register - which shows who voted, but obviously not how they voted - has not yet been met as said register has gone missing.
As the report states:
"Under the present electoral arrangements, certain papers including voting papers and a copy of the marked electoral register are to be kept by the sheriff clerk for that electoral area for a year after an election."
The SNP - who came second at the by-election, but had been expected to run Labour far closer - are livid and are saying that the democratic process will have been undermined unless the register is found and that without it, people could not be confident that the election was conducted fairly.
Murdo Fraser (pictured), deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives and an MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife (which includes Glenrothes), has given his reaction to the discovery:
“Whilst only a conspiracy theorist would jump to the conclusion there is something sinister in this, it does seem remarkably careless for such an important document to have gone missing. This can only undermine public confidence in the voting system.”
Jonathan Isaby
