Leader defends vote-fraud councillor

A Rochdale councillor who voted twice in this year’s local elections has been defended by his party leader amid calls for him to ‘reflect on his position’.

Councillor Faisal Rana accepted a police caution for electoral fraud in August after it was revealed he voted in Norden, as well as in his Spotland and Falinge ward in the local election in May 2018.

He owns properties in both areas and has always maintained he did not know it was an offence to vote in both and had ‘misinterpreted the rules’.

But Rochdale’s Conservative group tabled a motion at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday night (17 October), urging Councillor Rana to reconsider his role as an elected member.

The motion was defeated as it was not supported by the Labour group – to cries of ‘disgrace’ and ‘mafiosi’ from the public gallery.

Council leader Allen Brett, spoke in defence of his Labour colleague.

He said: “He fully co-operated with the police investigation, as did the council, and he has quite rightly made a full admission of his error and apologised.

“He has accepted his punishment and should be allowed to continue his good work for his community.”

It came after Tory leader Ashley Dearnley moved the motion urging Councillor Rana to reflect on his position.

He said: “I take no pleasure in raising this issue at this meeting, any more than I take pleasure in seeing Rochdale reported in the Rotten Boroughs section of Private Eye, or any more than I welcome comments from friends and family through the community contacting me saying ‘what on earth is Rochdale up to again?'”

He told the chamber that council staff, elected members and area officers all worked hard to ‘ensure elections are carried out freely and fairly and the democratic process is carried out properly.’

But added: “I feel this has weakened that particular road and that’s a cause of great concern to me, but also to the public at large that have contacted me

“One person from within the community said ‘this is not how we want to behave. Will you make it quite clear this is not what we expect, for people to vote more than once .”

He told members that he understood Councillor Rana was not a member of the council when he cast his votes, so the authority was ‘powerless to act’ but continued: “It brings a cloud over the borough at a time when it least needs it and affects democracy greatly.”

Councillor Rana declined to comment when contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter