Ex-councillor condemns ‘sham’ hearing after judge rules against petition

Mr Vernon Williams with his petition. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

A judge has dismissed a petition by a former Hackney councillor alleging that May’s local government elections were “illegally run”, following a hearing at Stoke Newington Town Hall.

The judge took just over three hours to rule that the councillors had been duly elected on 22 May and dismissed Vernon Williams’ petition.

Mr Williams, who ran as an independent candidate in Kings Park Ward, called the trial a “sham”, arguing that he was given only three weeks to prepare his case.

The independent candidate said he would fight the decision in a judicial review.

Mr Williams claimed that the Returning Officer Tim Shields did not follow correct election protocol when he supervised the vote count.

He said that Mr Shields “broke the law” when he did not begin the vote count until 3pm on May 22 – the day after Hackney headed to the polls.

Mr Williams also argued that the ballot boxes should have been kept under lock and key at the Town Hall, rather than being stored at Britannia Leisure Centre, which he called “the most unsafe place you can imagine”.

However at the hearing the judge argued there were no time frames to the count in local government elections, and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Hackney’s Returning Officer.

The Electoral Commission confirmed that while vote counts should begin “as soon as practicable” following after polls close, there was no set time frame.

Labour councillors Sharon Patrick, Tom Rahilly and Rebecca Rennison were elected in Kings Park ward with over 2,000 votes each, while Mr Williams gained 134.

Hackney Council has been approached for comment.