The Strange Priorities of the Electoral Commission

If you were the chairman of the Electoral Commission, where do you think you would be spending local election night? Birmingham, perhaps, where there has been a history of postal vote problems? Bradford? Or perhaps Coventry. Well, if you are Sam Younger you obviously don't feel any of these places merit your presence. Instead, Mr Younger will be spending the evening at ... wait for it ... Witney, which just happens to be in David Cameron's constituency. When I rang the Electoral Commission to ask why, they were unable to give a reason. I put it to them that it was strange for their most prominent person to be at a count where four of the councillors up for election are being returned unopposed. Comment came there none. I then rang West Oxfordshire Council and asked if they were using new technology or were doing anything out of the ordinary to merit his presence. Absolutely not, they said. Stranger and stranger, said Alice.