Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has expressed concern that some voters have not received their postal voting papers in time for the country’s general election on 4 July. Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Swinney said that many of those who had not received their papers were those who had applied for them before going away on holiday. The First Minister had previously raised these concerns, given the proximity of the election to the start of the Scottish school holidays. Swinney warned that, with 25% of Scotland’s electorate expected to vote by post, some closely-fought contests could be unduly affected by voters being disenfranchised because of the problems.
The delivery delay issue, which several Scottish councils have confirmed, had also been highlighted by the Electoral Management Board for Scotland. Though Royal Mail denied any backlogs at any of its offices in Scotland, many councils had dispatched postal ballot packs in tranches, meaning that people who applied after 7 June had to wait longer. Perth and Kinross council has called for a “comprehensive review of capacity and systems” after the election.
Swinney highlighted the margins of victory in the 2017 UK general election in several Scottish seats with his concerns. In the closest race, North East Fife, the winning candidate was only two votes ahead of the runner-up.
The First Minister also reiterated his belief that the best way to resolve the issue of Scottish independence would be to hold another referendum. He argued that the 2021 Holyrood elections had provided a “clear mandate” for a second referendum, but Westminster was refusing to countenance it. In the event of a Labour government after the next election, Swinney said he would look to take forward the controversial gender recognition bill, but the “safety of women and girls” would be “at the heart” of his decision-making
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