Kerry McCarthy MP receives police caution for illegally revealing postal vote results

In April this year I did a blog post titled - Tut tut - Kerry McCarthy breaches election law on Twitter - when Kerry McCarthy revealed a little too much about the postal vote opening in Bristol East.
Well, now Kerry McCarthy, the Labour MP who illegally revealed postal vote results on Twitter in April, has been given a police caution for the said offence.
Labour’s “Twitter Tsar” and a qualified solicitor, has avoided both a fine or a six month prison sentence for the offence.

Although she deleted her original post after a few minutes, it had already been spread around the internet.

An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said:

"Police have confirmed that they have cautioned a man and a woman – both from Bristol – following an investigation into alleged electoral fraud earlier this year under the Representation of the People Act 1983."

So, we assume that was both Kerry and her Agent.

Perhaps now the Labour party will advise their Election Agents and candidates to read the secrecy notices given out at election time.

Tut tut - Kerry McCarthy breaches election law on Twitter

Naughty naughty Kerry McCarthy, the Labour candidate in Bristol East - who earlier today tweeted figures from the opening of the postal votes in her Bristol East seat.

This is very clearly a breach of electoral law.

Now, to be fair to Kerry McCarthy, she has now deleted the figures but it does show despite councils and the electoral commission providing very clear advice on this that people do still make mistakes.

I remember my first count and many subsequent ones where I was made to sign a secrecy document.

Perhaps that needs to be reiterated to candidates and counting agents alike.

For those who want to know the correct wording of Section 66a, 1983 Representation of the People Act see Mark Pack's blog.