Mayor Carol Wardle apologises for election rigging boast

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Mayor Carol Wardle on stage at the count with Liz McInnes MP

Councillor Carol Wardle, Mayor of the Borough of Rochdale, has apologised for an embarassing boast that she would be willing to rig the result of the Heywood and Middleton by-election last week.

Mayor Wardle, a Labour councillor, was recorded on stage at the count telling successful Labour candidate Liz McInnes “it would have been that result whatever it said” in reference to the result.

The embarassing boast was picked up by a microphone in front of her and can be clearly heard on a video posted on YouTube.

David Williams, a former Labour councillor and now a leading figure in the Green Party, contacted Rochdale Online yesterday having viewed the video and said: "The question is did she mean if UKIP had more votes Labour would have won or did she mean that UKIP did win but Labour won?

"I thought only Mugabe did this kind of thing."

Mayor Wardle has said: “This was an unfortunate mistake by me and I wholeheartedly apologise for any concern caused. My only role in the whole proceedings was a ceremonial one, to formally announce the result by reading the declaration.

“The voting figures and the result had been signed off by the acting returning officer and shared with all the candidates before I went to the stage. There were robust arrangements in place for the by-election and count which were carried out in accordance with the law and Electoral Commission guidance.”

In order to retain the dignity of the mayoral office it is tradition that the role of the Mayor should be non-political and unbiased.