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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| By-election registers go missing | By-election registers go missing |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| An independent investigation is being carried out after marked electoral registers for the Glenrothes by-election were lost by the courts. | |
| The registers, which are the only record of who voted in the Westminster election, must be kept for a year. | The registers, which are the only record of who voted in the Westminster election, must be kept for a year. |
| Tricia Marwick, Nationalist MSP for Central Fife, said the blunder was "beyond belief". | Tricia Marwick, Nationalist MSP for Central Fife, said the blunder was "beyond belief". |
| Labour comfortably saw off an SNP challenge to hold the Glenrothes seat in November. | |
| The Scottish Court Service described the incident as "deeply regrettable" and confirmed an external investigation would be carried out into the incident. | |
| Fife Council said it had a receipt proving the authority handed the electoral registers over to the sheriff clerk at Kirkcaldy. | Fife Council said it had a receipt proving the authority handed the electoral registers over to the sheriff clerk at Kirkcaldy. |
| The ballot papers were counted fair and square in front of the eyes of the world Scottish Labour spokesman Lindsay Roy held on to the seat for Labour with a majority of more than 6,000 in the by-election, which was held following the death of sitting MP John MacDougall. | |
| Ms Marwick called for an independent inquiry, adding: "It is almost beyond belief that a by-election which attracted media coverage throughout the UK, which delivered such a surprise result and had a much higher turnout than anticipated, now has no records to show who actually voted." | Ms Marwick called for an independent inquiry, adding: "It is almost beyond belief that a by-election which attracted media coverage throughout the UK, which delivered such a surprise result and had a much higher turnout than anticipated, now has no records to show who actually voted." |
| Scottish Labour backed calls for a probe into why "an SNP government department lost confidential personal data again". | Scottish Labour backed calls for a probe into why "an SNP government department lost confidential personal data again". |
| A spokesman for the party added: "Lindsay Roy won the by-election because of the incompetence of the SNP locally and nationally. | A spokesman for the party added: "Lindsay Roy won the by-election because of the incompetence of the SNP locally and nationally. |
| "The ballot papers were counted fair and square in front of the eyes of the world." | "The ballot papers were counted fair and square in front of the eyes of the world." |
| Scottish Court Service chief executive Eleanor Emberson, said: "It is important for all concerned to establish what happened to the marked register. | |
| "I deeply regret and apologise for this loss and am arranging for the matter to be fully and independently investigated." | |