The extra security aims to stop campaigners trying to influence voters in the Bethnal Green & Bow and Poplar & Limehouse seats. Labour candidate for Poplar & Limehouse, Jim Fitzpatrick, said the police presence was justified as you “can’t put a price on democracy”.
He said: “There’s different ways to campaign on polling day and in certain communities the culture is to get a number of supporters outside polling stations to demonstrate the support that they have. For most of us, that’s intimidating and should be discouraged. The police are there to make sure the area around the polling station is completely sterile.”
Since 2012 half of the allegations of electoral fraud in London — 224 accusations — related to Tower Hamlets. [Evening Standard] Read more
