A BOLTON councillor will raise the issue of electoral fraud at a meeting next week.

Astley Bridge councillor John Walsh will bring a motion to the full council meeting on Wednesday, calling on the authority to support government measures to clamp down on electoral fraud.

Cllr Walsh said he had been planning to raise the issue before the postal vote row erupted in the build-up to last week’s Crompton Ward election, but said the saga has further cemented his belief that work needs to be done.

The row began after Cllr Walsh’s party leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, raised concerns about more than 300 names being added to the postal vote registration late-list in a manner he described as “en-bloc”.

Labour won the election. Politicians from all sides became involved in the bitter dispute.

Cllr Walsh’s motion will call on the council to back measures proposed by Sir Eric Pickles, the government’s ‘anti-corruption champion’, to cut down electoral fraud.

These include the recording of signatures of individual voters to be cross checked with other aspects of the electoral system and voters being required to sign for their ballot papers.

Cllr Walsh said: “I had actually planned to bring this issue up before the postal vote row, but obviously it has relevance to it and I may make some reference to that in my speech.

“As a council, we want to be as transparent as possible.”

Cllr Walsh said he echoed the “serious concerns” of his party leader about the postal vote row.

He added: “I have never experienced anything like that situation, where more than 300 names are added to the late-list en-bloc.

“I wouldn’t expect that in a parliamentary election, let alone a council ward election – so I have serious concerns about what has taken place.”

Labour councillor Nick Peel said: “Whatever electoral fraud is taking place, measures certainly need to be put in to stop it.

“In terms of individual electoral registration, that’s fine, but it has led to thousands of people in Bolton coming off the register.”

Regarding the postal vote row, he added: “We are still waiting for Cllr Greenhalgh to bring any evidence for his unfounded accusations — he should back it up or apologise.”

Cllr Walsh’s motion will be debated at the meeting of the full council in Bolton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday evening from 7pm.