Happy families
 

EXCLUSIVE: Senior Hyndburn politician suspended after election fraud accusation (From Lancashire Telegraph)

More internecine shenanigans from the Pritchard family.

Re: Happy families
 

Well if yeh read what i do into P.B.s comment, that says it all.:rolleyes:its implying she would not have been shopped,if they were both in the same party,So in P.B.s world,that makes it alright..:rolleyes:

Re: Happy families
 

Would you trust a politician (Her Father ) who changes party to suit his moods?

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No...I would not.

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What kind of father would level this kind of accusation against his daughter?
It smacks of political ambition and jealousy.
But it is publicity and I suppose this man feels that it brings him to the forefront at a time when he need the maximum exposure to meet his political ends.

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I agree, but should it be ignored if true, because of that fact? Not in my book.

Re: Happy families
 

Well assuming Malcom has the evidence he has every right to expose fraud wherever he finds it Margaret.
I know I know, innocent until proven but:
Clare must have known her dad was going to be a vindictive old sod so she has been more than foolish to get herself into this situation.

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I'd say it just confirms what most folk think about politicoes & politics, dirty, despicable & just out for themselves, they're all as bad as each other! :mad:

Re: Happy families
 

No, of course not. That was not the impression I was hoping to give
It should be investigated thoroughly(as it is being).

You see, I would never do something like that...and when you wouldn't do it,you find it hard to imagine that someone would throw all that hard work away for so few votes.

In this case blood isn't thicker than water.
I was shocked when Malcolm Pritcahrd sent a letter to the Observer to say that his daughter had 'dishonoured' him by standing in opposition to him(and winning - It was the winning that he could not forgive her for)

Re: Happy families
 

Yes, Fraud should be rooted out....where ever it is found. I have no problem with that at all......it is just the gloatingly vindictive way the story comes across(I wonder if he is a Scorpio).
If it is found that there is no case to answer, then I hope he apologises just as vociferously...and just as publicly.

Re: Happy families
 

although claire isnt my representitive as i am not in her ward she was very happy to help me with some issues i was having with HBC

for all we know someone else could have registered them names at her address to make her look bad. I have no idea what the relationship is like between her and her father but im guessing it isnt a good one and hes the man who sold out labour to get his mayorship so from what i know of both of them id be more inclined to believe claires side of events .

i could register myself at her address if i chose to and she would be non the wiser until teh election ballot papers came around or my next council tax bill if it works teh way i think it does

i just seems to be a very poorly thought out plot to gain so few votes by someone clearly smart enough to think of a much better way to get votes and a lot more than 4 if she chose to set about that route which i doubt she has

i may be wrong but seeing how councilors operate leaking info and such via private messages on here alone gives me an idea of how low some of these lot will stoop to get one over the competition rather than pulling together to mqake Hyndburn a better place

really hope these allegatons arnt true but like i said the 2 people blowing off steam about it are hardly squeaky clean themselves

Re: Happy families
 

unless it is his job to do so it does seem a strange hobby or pass time to sit examining the postal voting records of an entire borough looking for irregularities

i have no idea if the allegations are true or not but for a father in dispute with his daughter to suddenly turned up with evidence like this just before election day a part of me cant help but think its a bit convinient ..

cant really blame me for thinking this way about Mr Pritchard hes hardly painted himself in teh best light over the way he got to be mayor

Re: Happy families
 

Thing is accyman, there aint no side of things from Claire, she aint commented.;) so until things hit the fan,who knows?;) By the way, am near sure i recall daddy being a member on here n then vanishing after the Mayor farce?? cant find him in the member list now.

Re: Happy families
 

well seen as the police have been involved id do the talking to them first if it was me and get this out teh way as quick as possible

hell ya know me mate when it comes to polititions but the two bleeting on and doing the digging up of dirt do make quite the dynamic duo

someone must have written something to get those names on the elctoral role im pretty sure the first step before it sees a computer is some sort of signature so i guess it will be a case of whos handwriting did it..

i have no insight to this matter its just my opinion that something stinks about this even if it is merely the fact that a father dobbing his child in dosnt sit right wth me.Not that i am condoning actions of fraud etc but unless someones been killed ya dont ring the fuzz on your own blood

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It is the dignified way - not to answer(why on earth would anyone want to get into a public argument refereed by the media...who are almost as trustworthy on news items, as politicians are on policy making) and as she is the subject of a police investigation then she may actually be prohibited from making any public statement as it may prejudice her case.
If this is election fraud, then it has to be dealt with, if it is political skulduggery, then it needs to be exposed.

Out of the two, I know who I would trust the least.

Re: Happy families
 

Summat certainly stinks about it to me,n have me own thoughts on whats happened, but i'll keep em to meself, wi having no proof n a near certainty i would be sued.;):D

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And we certainly don't want that Cashy!

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im merely specualting and besides if saying what i think could have happened or saying somat aint right costs me every penny i have all i can advise anyone wishing to sue me is enjoy yer trip to poundland and take a bit with ya incase you aint got enough to pay for what you get with your winings

someones done it the only thing remaining is to find out who and if it isnt claire then whoever did it is in a lot deeper water than what they hoped to dish out.If claire has done it then the police and her party will do what is expected especially as it is in the media now which regardless of guilt or innocence will effect her chances a teh election

Re: Happy families
 

I suspect neither of ems responsible fer this accyman, but can't see it. ps,this is being read now i'd forgot the username its been that long since. lol

Re: Happy families
 

whatever or whoever the timing for this to come to light couldnt be better

the reason why its easy to assume foul play is by the previous actions on this forum alone of councilors bickering and sniping at each other or running to the press with half baked accusations and halve truths..

cant say iv witnessed this behaviour from clair on here but i certainly recall a couple that have wether using their real name or an alias

the thing is even them with a dodgy reputation lets say for arguments sake can be quite good on a 1 to 1 basis and helpfull to teh people who call upon them and do seem to have a genuine care for tehir area its just this constant need or desire some of them have to destroy the opposition at whatever cost even if it ends up with them getting egg on tehir face when it backfires that makes people wonder what the hell these people are doing in any position of power

Re: Happy families
 

I doubt he would be allowed near those postal votes, more that likely a council employee has noticed an irregularity and brought it to his attention. But he still wouldn't be allowed near those ballot papers.
Why are they being opened before polling day ?, and whose responsible for security ?.

Re: Happy families
 

I don't think it is to do with postal votes. It seems there are people registered to Claire Pritchards address that should not be.....they should be registered in other wards.
This is not to say that SHE registered those people to vote in her ward...or that she has anything at all to do with the registration.

Anyway, it is being investigated.....and rightly so, but as in all situations of this nature it reflects badly even if she has no case to answer.

Re: Happy families
 

Thats exactly why i suspect "Foul Play"

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Have to agree Margaret and thinking about it we all have access to the electoral rolls so maybe some third party brought MP's attention to the anomalies?
All will come out in the wash I hope.

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As these two are the only candidates standing in my ward it does make me think twice about whether it's worth walking round to the polling station to vote - neither fills me with any confidence & this latest charade doesn't help one bit :rolleyes:

Re: Happy families
 

Well , if neither fills you with any confidence , don't vote .

It should be a simple decision for you if neither fills you with any confidence .

Re: Happy families
 

What are we calling this, by the way, Claregate or Pritchardgate?;)

Re: Happy families
 

True, but my grandma always said that i should always make sure i used my vote & i know she'd be so cross if i just didn't bother - question is, would she want me to vote just for the sake of it???

Re: Happy families
 

If you have a valid reason for not voting, such as a serious lack of trust in the candidate then voting for someone you do not trust, is not the right thing to do.

I vote according to my conscience, not what someone else(whoever that may be) would think of me.

Re: Happy families
 

I know what you're saying makes sense Margaret, & if my grandma was still with us she'd probably agree with you too - maybe I'll have a toddle round to the polling station & just use my vote for the European elections then i will have at least used one of my votes

Re: Happy families
 

that's probably why its happened .. to stop people from voting ...

anyway its after 10pm now the polling stations are all closed .....

clare wont say anything due to the police being involved and investigations ongoing.

Re: Happy families
 

they wont be opened before polling day ....

they get a separate list of all those who have postal votes so then they know not to knock on their doors etc ... and in your case hyndburn council is responsible for security ... once they've received the ballot paper ..

Re: Happy families
 

all i can say is that if one day i fall out with my kids i hope it dosnt end up all over the front page of the local rag

as long as nothing gets broke it shoudl keep out of the press ;)

Re: Happy families
 

Malcolm Pritchard has won ... and will not stand as a UKIP councillor ... he will stand as an independent ... this has been on radio lancs ... yet he stood for UKIP ... so that's whats happened ...

Re: Happy families
 

so he misrepresented his colours yet again........the people of his ward have been bamboozled.
He represents all that is bad in NATIONAL politics. They say one thing but do something entirely different.

Re: Happy families
 

The people of his ward that voted fer him are either very naive,or thick as 2 short planks imho.:rolleyes:

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Cashy I was trying to be diplomatic, but I guess you nailed it there.
The man should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.

Re: Happy families
 

Surely that is fraud.

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That was me being diplomatic Margaret,giving n alternative.:D;)

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Just what I thought but I have spoken to someone who knows about local politics and apparently it's not illegal, although it's certainly immoral.
Let's wait and see what the Police investigation turns up....

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surely there is something that can be done in cases wher eits less that 24 hours after winning an election

there is a serious flaw in teh election process and it needs fixing quick

Re: Happy families
 

My well placed source was giving him 6 months before he changed his colours again, this very rapid turnaround is ridiculous, even by Malcolm's shoddy standards. I stand by what I said, he has sold himself to the electorate as one thing and now says he's another. It's not right, not moral and makes him look seriously daft.

Re: Happy families
 

Could the returning officer or the chief executive of the council not declare the poll invalid, and declare a re-election for election fraud.

Re: Happy families
 

That to me,is exactly what should happen,if the returning officer has got the balls to do it.which somehow i doubt.:rolleyes:

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maybe a few hundred emails in his box and a facbook page shaming the fraudster and demanding a re election be set up

sadly despite my computer expertees i only ever use facebook for games and selling things but if a group started id sign and join it

imagine his reputation if a re election is forced his political career woudl be in the gutter..

well its already in the gutter but on his terms i mean fubared

if i had voted UKIP in that ward i would be fuming

Re: Happy families
 

No , because Mr Pritchard has done nothing that is against the law .

Tomorrow he could be Conservative , Sunday Labour , Monday Liberal Democrat , Tuesday SNP , Wednesday Plaid Cymru , Thursday Sinn Fein , Friday Ulster Unionist etc......

There would be nothing illegal in this and he would still remain one of the councillors for Milnshaw Ward .

In the 1979-1983 Parliament 33 M.P.s changed their allegiance .
List of British politicians who have crossed the floor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am in no way defending Mr Pritchard . I am just saying what he is entitled to do .

It is for the voters of Milnshaw Ward to have their say if he is ever up for re-election after his term in office . Until then they are stuck with him . They chose him .

Re: Happy families
 

Hi thank you for all this on the web just to let you all know i am a member of UKIP and have gone INDEPENDENT what i said was we are independent people and we had no whip on us like other parties Yours Councillor Malcolm Pritchard UKIP

Re: Happy families
 

Sorry Not Gone INDEPENDENT

Re: Happy families
 

Turncoat as usual

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So is this a typo -

We all fall out with family, but to screw over your own daughter to further your career means only one thing, you are scum.

Re: Happy families
 

Oddly I can't find an email address for the esteemed Mr Pritchard, pondering the Facebook thing though and will be sending an appropriately worded email to our returning officer Jane Ellis if I can ever figure out the Councils bloody awful webpage.
Malcolm seems strangely reticent though..

Re: Happy families
 

Oh, he has replied, makes no sense, what a shock.:rolleyes:

Re: Happy families
 

So you're a UKIP representative? And as such you'll be promoting their policies & manifesto?

Could you define some of their intentions apart from the main line of out of Europe? I only ask so you can try to convince some folk that UKIP are more than just a flash in the pan protest vote.

Thanks. :)

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If you are Mr Pritchard can you answer a question which has been puzzling me ?

Why did the Conservatives not field a candidate in the Milnshaw Ward ? Rather unusual of them .

Re: Happy families
 

What you really mean is that you are independent for now.
You have misled the voters in your ward...and if I were one of them and had voted for you based on the premise that you were on a UKIP ticket I would be very dissatisfied.

You appear to have few scruples.

Re: Happy families
 

I do not know the answer to that you will have to see the Conservatives.
To gpick24 if you would get your facts right first you my not be SCUM.
If you would like to ask me a question on what has gone on please .
yours malcolmp

Re: Happy families
 

Ok, I`ll ask you a question, will you read what you`ve typed before hitting the post button, "you my not be SCUM" doesn`t make any sense.

Re: Happy families
 

Know i am not just Independent i am UKIP AND IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT UKIP STAND FOR IS UK INDEPENDENT PARTY note the word INDEPENDENT Yours Malcolmp

Re: Happy families
 

Holy moly, I didn`t realise you could be a politician when you could be so stupid, it`s NO not KNOW, do you think you`d pass the citizenship test?

Re: Happy families
 

I suggest, respectfully, that to post use of the 'GO ADVANCED' button is advisable. This allows you to preview a post, proof read, edit and ensure that clarity enables others to understand what is being said.

Re: Happy families
 

lol ewe got hymn on that won :D

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Its U.K. INDEPENDENCE PARTY, Independence from Europe, nowt to do with the sh1te your peddling.

Re: Happy families
 

I am surprised that Mr. Pritchard could not answer your question. Surely he
would want to be aware of the likely competition.

The Accrington Observer stated that the Conservative candidate withdrew on
health grounds though I cannot vouch for the accuracy of its information.

Re: Happy families
 

Don't be surprised Sherry, Hes very aware what strings to pull from his sickening stunt to become mayor.:rolleyes:

Re: Happy families
 

Jane's email is on this page East Lancashire - Feedback Online

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There are a few serious flaws like you don't have to be able to prove your ID when you vote. You don't even need your polling card but that makes it easier. I could have used your card and voted - well I could if I didn't know the bloke taking names and giving out ballot paper :D

That happens a lot I am led to believe

Re: Happy families
 

It's UK Independence Party, you need to read this and learn a bit About - UKIP

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We never got polling cards,even though we moved Nov 1st, n notified the relevant body, They checked paris was registered n she voted, but as yeh say,even though she took I.D. it was never asked for.:confused: That seems very odd to me?

Re: Happy families
 

As other have pointed out UKIP stands for the UK Independence Party .

The party is about UK independence from the EU .

What sort of a politician are you when you don't even know the correct name of the party in whose name you stood in the Milnshaw Ward ?

You are twisting words to defend what you said on Radio Lancashire when you told the interviewer that you would be an Independent councillor for the Milnshaw Ward .

Anyway since you are a member of the UK Independence Party , at least you were presumably a member on voting day , what are your views of your new party's policies ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on reducing the deficit ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on Trident ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on the Council Tax ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on Education ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on public transport ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on Local Government ?

What do you think of UKIP's policy on large bonuses for the bosses of the banks ?

What do you think of UKIP's policies on Law and Order ?

What do you think of UKIP's policies on the ever increasing energy bills ?

What do you think of UKIP's policies on dealing with cranks who put up as UKIP candidates in local elections ?

Those are ten questions for you , Mr Pritchard , and I will add others when you have answered those .

Re: Happy families
 

Please don't thank us, it is we that should be thanking you, for taking your nose out of the trough long enough to post on here.
Even though what you post is rather sub standard it is an excellent example of why most politicians are in politics, not for the people they represent, just for an easy ride in the gravy trains first class carriages.
:(

Re: Happy families
 

Yes but the word independent in UKIP means independence from Europe not from a political party, so just to clarify, will you be representing UKIP or not?

Re: Happy families
 

It looked like a puzzler to me too, but I think I have a plausible answer, ( though Malcolm may come back and correct me after he has finished reading his Fisher Price" My First Book of using big words and stringing a sentence together").

My theory is that if the Tories had put anyone up in the ward there was an outside chance they would lose, so by hedging their bets and leaving Malcolm and Clare ( coincidentally implicated in all that mess just before polling day)to slug it out ,they, ( meaning Mr Britcliffe) now have Maleable Malcolm to deal with in Council chambers rather than Clare, who can speak English, form a sentence and actually knows what Party she represents. :rolleyes:
Or am I reading too much into this??:eek:

Re: Happy families
 

Yer getting very near to me line of thought Linds.;)

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I think you have hit the nail squarely on the head there Lindsay.
You have probably put into words what many of us were privately thinking.

Re: Happy families
 

my thoughts are pretty much that he and the tories set out to slurr claires name and have an agreement between them so that they may as well have a tory in the seat

can you be mayor twice ?

only my thoughts mind before the lawsuits arrive but if it is teh case hes a complete mug because the only person looking bad right now is himself ...

oh and hyndburn but thats not his concern.Oh how teh other councils must be wetting themselves laughing at ours its just a pitty its not really funny its quite distastefull and vile

Re: Happy families
 

Thats a fact, also dig a bit deeper n the root of the discord may just occur to yez.

Re: Happy families
 

I think I know who the root of the discord is.....and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is thinking this right now.
We aren't all as green as we might be cabbage looking.
Or maybe we are just a bunch of cynical old gits.

Re: Happy families
 

Or perhaps believe "If the cap fits" ;)

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That as well....but mainly cynical old gits.

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Aye but the cynicism is well earned.;) it dont come natural to most people,

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I think I disagree with this ... Maybe it ain't REALLY funny; but it is funny ... not as funny as Rob Ford; but there again, Toronto is a much bigger pond than Hyndburn; so it needs a bigger fish.;) I mean, we all know politicians are greedy, power-hungry, ass-kissing when necessary sonsabitches ... but one has to admire Malcom for his open approach to venality.:D

Happy families
 

However those that it does come natural to...


...Are on AccyWeb shist finds it's own level, we however may be full of it but, no way are we so callous as this guy.

Re: Happy families
 

As George Beardyman Shaw once said:

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."

Re: Happy families
 

My guess is that you are 100% right. Clare was a great Councillor and did a lot for Hyndburn. If I was on the opposite side to her I would want her out as well.

Re: Happy families
 

Good grief god help us if this man is representative of the standard of what passes for a political mind in Accrington. I have got to say after reading his later posts it smacks of what you get when cousins marry.;) Must also say i feel sorry for his daughter having that moraly bankrupt numpty for a father.

Re: Happy families
 

Yet again, I'm not defending him as a man, but...

a) Where does it say that you need someone who can spell and/or know the etiquette of an internet forum to represent the electorate?
b) How soon we forget the facebook diatribe that Ms Pritchard aimed at one of her contstituents
c) Anyone here see Ms Pritchard storm out of the counting house, refusing to speak to anyone when she discovered she had lost?
d) Where did Ms Pritchard get her love of the political gravy train from?

From a purely UKIP point of view...

a) Asking any local politician to describe the party manifesto is crazy......ask any one of the incumbent Labour/Tory councillors and they would be as clueless.
b) Does anyone really think that Nigel Farage would place a 3 line whip on the vote for benches in front of the market hall...if I were voted in on a UKIP ticket, I'd state that I'd independently put the wishes of the constituents that voted for me ahead of party politics....is there really anything wrong with that?

Re: Happy families
 

Yes, I think there is.
Many people who voted will have identified themselves with what UKIP stand for - which is getting independence from the EU for the UK......they may not have read anything that Malcolm put on his leaflets.....Malcolm may have broadly supported general aims of UKIP(or he may have lied - I can't say because I haven't seen any of the publicity for Milnshaw. I live in another part of hyndburn)...but he may have seen the surge in UKIP popularity as a means to an end and used it to tailgate to a victory.
He has been disingenuous. He has been ambitious, he has not been honest with those who voted for him and in that respect he is not(in my opinion anyway) suitable to represent the wishes of those who elected him.

There is nothing anywhere which says that you have to be educated or articulate when representing your constituents, but it does help if you don't want to look like a silly ass.
And if you are not educated to some degree then you will find that those who are will run rings around you.

Of course Claire got her passion for politics from her father. And I think I would be a bit unhappy and not want to speak to anyone if I lost to Malcolm Pritchard.
As for FB, well I am not a member so I know nothing of that.

People who have sought out Claire for help have usually been very happy with the support she has given them......but good news is never that laudable is it?

Re: Happy families
 

Had Malcolm Pritchard stood an an Independent candidate(which he could have done) he would have been being honest about his political allegiance......but to my mind, he knew that standing as an Independent would not allow him to gain from the recent publicity that the UKIP party has had. He wanted to use this in an opportunistic way to gain......and that is dishonest, both to the UKIP party and to those who elected him on a UKIP ticket.

Still, dishonesty is the common coin of politicians. I just thought(and maybe hoped) that our local politicians had not been tainted by this blight.

Re: Happy families
 

He became independent mid term after being voted in by Labour supporters. He then lost his seat to Paul Cox who stood as Labour and Malcolm stood as independent. You may be right with your thoughts as to why he decided to abandon being independent and change yet again to UKIP just as they are having a surge in popularity.

Re: Happy families
 

Ponder all yez want its simple "SNAKE."

Re: Happy families
 

The fact that he has changed political allegiance so many times says a lot.
People do change their political views, but to do it so often is a sign that he really has NO allegiance to any political party....only to his own ambition. He will also trample over anyone who will stand in his way.....but yet he can easily be manipulated by councillors that he wants to impress.....success by association.
Thoroughly dishonest!

Re: Happy families
 

This bloke can stoop that low he could crawl under a snakes belly whilst wearing a top hat.

Re: Happy families
 

I don't know Councillor Pritchard personally but I heard his interview on BBC Radio Lancs shortly after his election "success" and I was disturbed that such an inarticulate person was elected and is in fact a part of the Borough's council...:confused: