Outgoing business secretary Kemi Badenoch accused Uttlesford District Council of ‘potentially’ disenfranchising thousands of postal voters.
The potential Tory leadership candidate took to X/Twitter yesterday afternoon accusing the council leadership of being ‘unable to carry out basic functions competently.’
She also said the council had ‘potentially disenfranchised up to 2,600 postal voters by FORGETTING to send them their ballot papers.’
Ms Badenoch won Essex North West by 2,610 votes, down from a majority of 27,594 in her former seat of Saffron Walden.
The council's chief executive, Peter Holt, reportedly admitted that a close election result could be challenged if a large number of postal votes are not returned.
A council spokesperson said: 'The 2,688 postal voting packs were sent out by first-class post by 28 June. Where voters requested it, such as because they were going on holiday and urgently required it, these were hand-delivered by council staff. This is normal practice in any election where best endeavours are made to ensure voters whose postal votes may have gone astray are provided with urgent replacements.
'Typically, here and around the country, around three-quarters of those registered to vote by post return their votes (when sent out on time). Of the 2,688 postal votes sent out in the Chelmsford area a week later than they should have been, 2,076 were successfully returned (some 77%).'
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