Scottish Labour breaks electoral law by putting campaign material in polling booths

Labour’s fear of a rout in Scotland appears to be as severe in the Holyrood elections as in local elections in England and Wales. The party’s activists have been caught breaking electoral law at “multiple” polling stations by putting party campaign material in or by voting booths.

The illegal manoeuvres have been exposed in at least two polling stations in North Lanarkshire, in the village of Chryston and the town of Coatbridge.

The Electoral Commission’s information on what is legal in polling stations states:

Campaign material is not allowed within the perimeters of a polling station. This means there shouldn’t be any campaign posters, banners or other advertising literature present at the polling station.

A spokesperson for the local council confirmed the lawbreaking:

There must not be any campaigning activity or materials relating to candidates, parties or political campaigns within polling stations, places or booths, which are neutral and independent from the political process.

Campaign leaflets were found within a booth at a polling station in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency and were immediately removed by polling staff.

Polling suggests Labour will come a poor third in the election, with barely a third of the SNP’s projected seats and behind even chaotic Reform UK.

Featured image via the Canary