Tory volunteers posing as polling station staff in South West Surrey #GE2010

Posted on May 9th, 2010 by admin in volunteers | 25 Comments »

Conservative Party volunteers passing themselves off as polling station staff during UK 2010 General Election ( #ge2010)

Recorded: 2:15pm 06/05/2010

Constituency: South West Surrey (bordering Guildford)

Note: The local Tories pull this dozy act every bloody year, collecting registration numbers of voters for party purposes while trying to give the impression that they are associated with polling station staff and/or the Electoral Commission.

This year, I decided to record it.

Duration : 0:1:24


[youtube bF2s2MHH0HE]

25 Responses

  1. bloggerheads Says:

    @gingashields Thing …
    @gingashields Thing is, it keeps happening. At the very least, some measures need to be taken to make sure that these people are correctly and responsibly instructed/briefed by their respective party handlers. Perhaps this process can start with Eric Pickles responding to this incident and reassuring us with details of the current process. (waits) (suspects it will be in vain)

  2. gingashields Says:

    @bloggerheads …
    @bloggerheads That’s certainly true – as I think I replied to one of your comments elsewhere, they should be open about what they’re doing. They shouldn’t act like there’s something to be ashamed of. I think the problem is though that a lot of these guys are just volunteering, and in the chaos of election day, no one has really told them anything: hence why this woman is being very cagey, as presumably she feels like she’s being put on the spot, and isn’t sure of her position

  3. gingashields Says:

    @jamesjnr67 They …
    @jamesjnr67 They can only use information on voting intentions that people give to them – if people don’t want to be involved, then they should just keep their voting intentions private. I’m pretty neutral – it’s not particularly attractive, as ideally everyone would vote whatever, but I can understand why all the parties do it

  4. adecentusername Says:

    If I were a teller, …
    If I were a teller, I’d put a sign up saying “Party Teller”. I would have a copy of the guidelines in my back pocket and I’d encourage people to ask me what I was doing and for whom, and why. I’d demystify the whole thing.

    But then I’m not a Tory. The natural response that a tribal Tory gives to any query about their status is a scowl and a “why do you want to know that?” There’s something unfathomably cultural at work there and it’s a shame: it puts people off voting. Maybe that’s the point.

  5. puruzy Says:

    @muzzaukkk They’re …
    @muzzaukkk They’re not in a polling station, they are outside, hence the signs saying ‘way in’ in the background….bit of a clue there.

  6. bloggerheads Says:

    @cormfacts22 you …
    @cormfacts22 you have no evidence to back that accusation. I do have evidence of a teller working very hard to maintain the impression that she is is polling station staff and/or what she is doing is part of the polling process. Which is not OK and shouldn’t be happening anywhere. (PS – I am no Labour supporter, and this was filmed and released long before anything like a result. But once again I say ‘nice try’.)

  7. refusedchaos Says:

    ach to heych prick. …
    ach to heych prick…

  8. bloggerheads Says:

    @cormfacts22 …
    @cormfacts22 There’s no footage I can show you that will convince you I haven’t just cut some off the end, so you’re just going to have to go on thinking that.

  9. cormfacts22 Says:

    @bloggerheads Yea …
    @bloggerheads Yea but you edited to stop as you went in!

  10. cormfacts22 Says:

    labour supports are …
    labour supports are sore losers you where hammered, Brown get out of No. 10 the public has spoken. To the person that made this video this happens everywhere. Who knows you could have been filming in a polling station, you just edited it to cut off as you were going in the door. Who’s commiting the crime?

  11. gloop999 Says:

    Wat did the lady …
    Wat did the lady say as he walked away?

  12. ZiggzHSMrules Says:

    What she did was …
    What she did was wrong, she should have been upfront.

    But all parties have tellers. I dont think they should be allowed. Or at least the government should tell ppl EXACTLY what they do etc.

    Anyway, all parties have tellers, but they should make out they are staff. And they should make an extra effort to explain who they are to younger voters especially.

  13. smileAssassin92 Says:

    congrat’s finally …
    congrat’s finally more people on youtube are seeing and showing how scummy the conservatives are. this is getting favourited.

  14. ApplemanY1 Says:

    Listen to the …
    Listen to the silence…. from Labour and other parties who have done exactly the same at Polling Stations where they have enough supporters to do it. I always ask, I always decline and never get an argument.

  15. bloggerheads Says:

    @muzzaukkk OMG OMG …
    @muzzaukkk OMG OMG OMG, show me the footage of me filming inside the polling station. And this one did not wear a rosette.

  16. express375 Says:

    ah you can always …
    ah you can always win an argument with a nice polite posh accent

  17. muzzaukkk Says:

    tbh most of them …
    tbh most of them wear a roset.

    more to the point WHAT WERE YOU DOING FILMING INTO A POLLING STATION.

    i believe that is against election rules.

    If the looser of your election were to see this video they could have the result nulled.

  18. bloggerheads Says:

    @martygoose If …
    @martygoose If you’re suggesting she just doesn’t know any better, then let’s have the parties improve their briefing methods

  19. bloggerheads Says:

    @lonelysymphony I …
    @lonelysymphony I was clear when I said the *local* Tories always do this. I have also made it clear that I’d be interested in evidence of any similar abuses from any other party

  20. martygoose Says:

    @bloggerheads To me …
    @bloggerheads To me, that lady is just a Conservative voter who believes in what they have to offer, taking time out of her schedule to help her local Conservative politician. In my opinion it’s breaking less rules than massive posters plastered around the city slandering each party. It’s the childish side of politics, sure. The bickering, egotistical, self-righteous side of politics.

  21. lonelysymphony Says:

    EVERY political …
    EVERY political party does this you MUPPET.

    It infuriates me that they don’t make it clear that they are not officials but to say this is a Tory thing is moronic.

  22. bloggerheads Says:

    @martygoose The …
    @martygoose The rules are there to protect our democracy. I support those rules, as I support our democracy. The parties who send these people out claim to support the same rules, so let’s see them make sure their volunteers follow the rules.

  23. martygoose Says:

    Such a pathetic …
    Such a pathetic video. Who gets annoyed over this? It’s someone with a notepad. Just don’t speak to her. Jesus. Like a petulant child.

  24. bloggerheads Says:

    @alexsmif2002 the …
    @alexsmif2002 the rules on this need to tightened up (if not just enforced). No argument from me that something should be done no matter which party does it, and *especially* if abuse is as widespread as it sounds.

  25. bloggerheads Says:

    @bmgi102 Nice one. …
    @bmgi102 Nice one. Cheers.

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