Britain a Banana Republic
BBC NEWS | Politics | Postal votes 'wide-open to fraud'
The judge in a vote-rigging trial says the postal voting system is "wide open to fraud" and has strongly attacked the government's attitude to the problem.
Richard Mawrey QC was speaking as he ruled there had been "widespread fraud" in six Birmingham council seats won last year by Labour.
He accused the government of being not only complacent, but "in denial", about the failings of the system.
The judge said he regretted the government had dismissed recent warnings about the system's failings as "scaremongering".
He pointed to a government statement which said: "The systems already in place to deal with the allegations of electoral fraud are clearly working."
Mr Mawrey said: "Anybody who has sat through the case I have just tried and listened to evidence of electoral fraud that would disgrace a banana republic would find this statement surprising...
Remember this when the election results are announced because the system is not going to be changed before May.