Straw condemns Burnley 'vote fraud' councillors

Commons leader Jack Straw has attacked as "shameful" the fact that two Burnley Liberal Democrat councillors who were imprisoned for stealing votes had not resigned their seats.

Councillors Manzur Hussain, 58, and Mozaquir Ali, 44, were sentenced to 18 months in prison last month after being convicted of electoral fraud.

Preston Crown Court heard they defrauded dozens of voters by falsifying postal proxy votes at the June 2004 local government elections in the town.

Mr Straw was asked in the Commons by Burnley MP Kitty Usher for a debate on the standards expected of local councillors who have been convicted of electoral fraud.

She said the issue was important to Burnley residents because the two councillors had not resigned their seats despite the court finding the election to be "fraudulent".

"It's pretty shameful for the Liberal Democrat Party not to have required the resignation of these people," Mr Straw said.

A spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats said because the councillors were planning an appeal against their convictions the party was unable to expel them.

She said they had been suspended since they were found guilty.

"Until the conclusion of the legal process we cannot expel them, they only remain suspended."

After the verdicts were returned in the case, the party said it "will not tolerate" electoral fraud and the men would face a motion to expel them from the party.

Copyright Press Association 2006