Parties are ignoring postal votes guidelines

There were new fears of vote-rigging today after it emerged all three main parties are flouting guidelines on postal voting.

Research by the Standard reveals Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates are distributing leaflets encouraging people to apply for a postal vote and send the completed form back to the candidate's office.

After a scandal in Birmingham where six councillors were found guilty of postal-vote fraud, the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers issued new guidelines to candidates saying such practices should be avoided "because of the risks of suspicions that the application may be altered".

Among those ignoring this advice are Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather, who sent constituents in Brent East a postal vote application form with the request to "return it to the Liberal Democrats using the envelope enclosed".

The practice is not illegal and there is no suggestion any candidate is abusing the system.