Farage doubles down on unsubstantiated ‘rigged vote’ claims despite police finding no evidence in by-election probe

Home Affairs Correspondent

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been accused of undermining confidence in British elections after doubling down on claims that recent Gorton and Denton by‑election was “rigged”, even though police have found no evidence of any illegal conduct.

On March 27, Greater Manchester Police announced that its investigation into allegations of illegal “family voting” at the February 26 poll concluded there was “no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting”, the threshold needed for a criminal offence under UK law. Officers also said there was no CCTV or reliable identification of individuals said to be involved.

The probe was launched after Reform UK reported alleged irregularities following the shock defeat of its candidate by Hannah Spencer, who secured 14,980 votes, a commanding majority of 4,402 over Reform UK’s 10,578, with Labour third on 9,364.

But Farage has refused to accept the police findings, dismissing the investigation as an “establishment whitewash” and insisting the result is tainted despite official clearance.

“Frankly, this is exactly the kind of establishment whitewash people are sick to death of,” he said.
“This isn’t good enough… not another brushed‑under‑the‑carpet report from the usual suspects.”

Officials insist the vote was free and fair. Returning officer Tom Stannard said the allegations were “not substantiated” and that “the integrity of the by‑election was not affected”, a finding supported by GMP’s investigation.

The original concerns were raised by independent election observer group Democracy Volunteers, which said it had witnessed what it described as high levels of so‑called “family voting”, where two people enter a single polling booth, raising the possibility of one influencing the other. But police stressed that observers did not report any verbal instruction or physical conduct indicating direction or coercion, and without evidence of intent, no offence under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 could be established.

The Electoral Commission also moved to calm concerns, saying allegations must be backed by evidence. Chief Executive Vijay Rangarajan said: “Public trust in elections is essential. It is equally important that any allegations… are supported by evidence.” He added the watchdog will review how such incidents are reported and how observer groups are trained.

Turnout: 47.62%, only fractionally down on the 48.01% turnout in the constituency in the 2024 general election.

2026 Gorton and Denton by-election

The Green Party, which celebrated securing its first ever parliamentary by‑election victory in Gorton and Denton, strongly defended the legitimacy of the result and rejected attempts to cast doubt on the outcome.

A Green Party spokesperson said the narrative pushed by Farage and others was a “dangerous distraction” that had the potential to erode trust in democratic processes without any factual basis. They emphasised that the only official investigations, carried out by both police and electoral authorities, found no illegal activity took place at polling stations.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski welcomed the police findings and urged political actors to respect the verdict of voters, saying that casting unfounded doubt on elections risks undermining confidence in democracy itself. Social media reactions from Green supporters also dismissed the rigged‑vote narrative as unsubstantiated, noting the majority was decisive and the legal criteria for any offence were not met.

Officials also pointed to the timing of the original claims, headlines and allegations were widely circulated within minutes of polls closing, but detailed reports of the alleged issues were only formally shared with authorities more than a week later, limiting immediate scrutiny on election day.

With police, election officials and regulators all rejecting the claims, Farage’s continued attacks have sparked fresh debate about politicians undermining confidence in elections, even in the absence of evidence of fraud. Critics argue that persistent claims of rigged votes and improper conduct without substantiated proof risk damaging public faith in democratic institutions.