High Peak MP Tom Levitt has called upon High Peak Borough Council to count the votes at the forthcoming general election on the Thursday night in line with custom and practice. In supporting a motion to Parliament – which now has over 100 MPs supporting it – the MP is expressing concern that Returning Officers are considering a switch to Friday counts in many places.

“Election Nights are part of the political tradition of this country. The atmosphere of the Count is unique but, more importantly, people have the right to know who they have elected to represent and to govern them as soon as possible,” said Mr Levitt.

According to Early Day Motion 334, the MPs – of all parties – believe that “In the 21st century it would be a regressive move not to announce constituency results as early as possible; further believes that public confidence in the results could be undermined by delays in the counting of ballot papers and that fewer voters would be able to watch the results being announced if this were done on a Friday afternoon.”

Mr Levitt has invited local representatives of other political parties to join him in his call for High Peak to stay with the Thursday count.

Mr Levitt has also asked the council to carry out an audit of its polling stations, with a view to ensuring that physical access to them is as good as possible on Election Day. Research carried out at the last election shows that across the country only two out of every three polling stations were fully accessible to disabled people. “High Peak has a good record in this regard, though there is no cause for complacency,” says the MP.