Galloway ‘will boycott election count’ (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Galloway ‘will boycott election count’

7:00am Thursday 3rd May 2012 in News By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter

Bradford West MP George Galloway has vowed to boycott the Bradford Council election count after his two closest advisors were barred from attending.

Mr Galloway has described the decision by the Council’s chief executive Tony Reeves as “a gratuitous insult”. It follows complaints the new MP made at the parliamentary by-election five weeks ago after Mr Reeves refused to alter the custom of allowing all Bradford councillors to attend the count.

“It’s the same again,”' said Mr Galloway. “Reeves is allowing councillors to attend who aren’t standing for election and who have no legitimate purpose being there. Bradford and the London mayoral contest will dominate the news agenda and so it was important that my two colleagues were there to help.”

A Council spokesman said that MPs and councillors are admitted to counts at the discretion of the returning officer, Mr Reeves.