‘We are getting on with the job in hand-there’s twenty years worth to put right’,Councillor Sue Ospreay.
The investigation into possible election fraud in Havering has now been closed by the Metropolitan Police who has stated that no criminal offence has been found.The investigation was launched by the Met’s Special Enquiry Team who have now closed the case.
A lot of controversy has taken place since regarding this matter and a great deal of speculation.
Former Rainham and Wennington councillor David Durant who lost his seat on the night, said:
“The fraud on election night specifically saw a candidate with twenty years public service lose office and potentially two other candidates, including myself, with a combined thirty two years public service as councillors losing the election too.”
Mr Durant believes ‘the specific fraud was the switching of a bundle of 57 verified block votes for a bundle of 54 mixed votes, that altered the outcome of the election.’
Despite three re-counts, one of which took place the Monday after the election night, the clear winners were Councillors Sue Ospreay, Jackie McArdle and Sarah Edwards who are very popular members of their local community.
In response councillor Ospreay told the Havering Daily: “Four years ago when Jackie (McArdle) and I stood for Rainham and Wennington councillors against Jeff Tucker and David Durant and lost, we stayed after the count to make a point of congratulating them on their win like adults do. It was the right thing to do.
“What a massive pity that David Durant, Jeff Tucker and Albie Tebbit could not do the same gesture for us after our victory.
“I am very pleased that after a detailed investigation, Councillor Damian White has been cleared. This has been a last ditched attempt by bad losers to discredit our good names.
“Now we must get on with the job at hand as we have been doing. There is twenty years worth to put right right here.”
Since the three ladies were elected, they have worked non stop, dealing with horrendous situations such as the Wennington fire, the ongoing fires on Launders Lane and many other problems. Despite being new to their role, the three councillors have shown that when the going gets tough, the tough do indeed get going!
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After serving 12 years as an effective local councillor, I do have mixed feelings about the 3 conservative Rainham & Wennington councillors decision to jump ship and join the Labour and HRA coalition administration.
This is because not only have they betrayed their conservative voters they have also betrayed their election agent by ending his political career, as Cllr Damian White needed their votes to remain conservative group leader.
This shows in politics “no good deed goes unpunished” because they got elected after (now former) Council Leader Cllr White spent years personally helping them and promoting their campaign (he spent the entire election period in Rainham and Wennington ward) with considerable conservative party and partisan council funding – and I believe election fraud (as explained in an earlier post).
In other words I consider their defection, particularly without holding a by-election, very unprincipled behaviour (behaviour Cllr Ospreay herself loudly condemned when performed by Cllr Burton in 2018).
But nevertheless I welcome the resulting demise of Cllr White as his general conduct and support for Net-Zero and harmful lockdown restrictions have inflicted great damage on the health and economy of Britain and undermined the conservative cause in Havering.