Richard Parker is neck and neck with current Conservative Party president Andy Street. Photo: Jacob King/PA
Police investigate Tory claims the Labor candidate in Thursday's crucial West Midlands mayoral election wrongly claimed he lived in the area in order to get on the ballot.
West Midlands Police said it was “assessing” allegations that Richard Parker may have tampered with ballot papers. law after receiving a complaint from a local Conservative MP.
A spokesman for Mr Parker, who is neck-and-neck in the polls with incumbent Conservative Party president Andy Street, called the allegations a “disgraceful political game.”Gary Sambrook, MP for Birmingham Northfield, has written to police over allegations that the Labor candidate manipulated residency rules to qualify for the contest.
Official nomination papers show Mr Parker declared a rented flat in a modern development in Birmingham city center as his election address.
But he has publicly acknowledged that his family home is in the village, which is a quarter of a mile from the West Midlands Combined Authority area.
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Applicants must state that they either lived in the area for the previous 12 months or that their primary place of work was located there.
'Egregious breach' of electoral rules
In a letter to Craig Guilford, Chief Constable of the West Midlands, Mr Sambrook said the situation constitutes a “gross violation” of election rules.
He said it appeared Mr Parker had “lied”. about his home address” and that it was “quite obvious that his home address is not in this flat in Birmingham.”
“So he falsified his nomination form – I would tell you this deliberately so that The ballot papers will show a local address, not a Worcestershire address,” he wrote in the letter, first published by The Times.
“I am appalled that someone who wants to take up the prestigious position of Mayor of the West Midlands would think it would be possible to try to deceive voters in this way and I urge you to urgently investigate this in the public interest. .
“There is already enough distrust in politics and politicians, and this could cause even more damage.”
Mr Sambrook pointed to media reports last month that construction workers and Neighbors said they had never seen Mr Parker at the Birmingham city center flat.
He also drew attention to comments the Labor candidate made to local BBC radio in which he admitted his family home was outside electoral territory.
“I have a family home, I have been very clear about this – it is a quarter of a mile outside Birmingham,” Mr Parker is quoted as saying in the letter.
“And I have a base in Birmingham, which I use to implement my campaign.”
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Richard Parker (center) told local BBC radio that his family's home is outside the electoral zone. Photo: Jacob King/PA
Mr Parker, 60, moved to Birmingham after graduating from university and worked there for accounting giant PwC, rising to a senior rank. partner.
In 2005 he bought a house in the village of Barnt Green in Worcestershire, about a quarter of a mile from the West Midlands Combined Authority boundary.
He is still listed as a director of the company in this house and was until recently listed on the Worcestershire electoral roll. His wife and son are still registered there.
Parker received 39% of the vote in the West Midlands mayoral race, two points behind his Conservative rival Mr Street, according to the latest YouGov poll released on Monday.
The contest is one of the most anticipated of any local election, and its outcome will have a major impact on how both parties are perceived nationally.
'A waste of police time'
Mr Parker's campaign rejected the claims against him and said, that it was a “desperate” last-ditch attempt to discredit him.
A spokesman for the Labor candidate told The Times: “Richard Parker easily meets the criteria to stand for mayor.”
“This disgraceful last minute political game is a waste of police time. This is the escapade of a Conservative Party desperate for a headline, with no ideas, no time and no connection.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have received the charge and are currently processing it. we are studying.”
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