Reform by-election win legal challenge to go ahead

A legal challenge over Sarah Pochin's victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election can proceed, the High Court has ruled

A legal challenge to the result of a by-election that saw a Reform UK MP elected by six votes can go ahead, the High Court has ruled.

Graham Moore, who stood for the English Constitution Party in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election on 1 May, finished last of 15 candidates, with 50 votes.

Two High Court judges have ruled that a "trial of petition" over the election of Sarah Pochin should go ahead, although the details of Moore's case have not been revealed.

Also in their ruling, the judges dismissed his cases against Royal Mail and Cheshire Police, against whom he respectively made allegations of failing to deliver election materials, and harassment and failure to investigate election offences.

'Bedrock'

The judges found it would be "improper" for both Royal Mail and Cheshire Police to be involved in the case since they "are not entitled to be respondents to the petition and accordingly have no standing on the wider issues".

Barristers for Pochin said the election petition should be dismissed since it had not been "validly served upon her", which meant it was "procedurally defective".

Lawyers for election returning officer Stephen Young - against whom Moore was also bringing his case - said the petition should be thrown out due to the petition being incorrectly filled in, which they claimed was a "procedural irregularity".

The judges referred to Moore's claim that he had a "fundamental right to contest the integrity of the election", and that "relying upon procedural technicalities over substantive rights undermines the bedrock of English law".

In a 26-page ruling, they said the legal challenge should continue despite the errors, noting that Moore had "acted promptly" to file the petition.

The by-election, prompted by the resignation of Labour MP Mike Amesbury after his conviction for assaulting a constituent, saw Reform UK overturn a Labour majority of more than 15,000.

• Additional reporting by The Press Association