A LABOUR Party candidate has won the right to a recount of a local election result in the West Midlands which gave a BNP candidate a seat by mistake.
Sharon Ebanks became Birmingham's first BNP councillor in May when she was declared the winner of one of two vacant seats in Kingstanding ward.
She polled 2,310 votes with Labour candidates Zoe Hopkins and Catherine Grundy achieving 2,088 and 1,973 respectively.
The Returning Officer realised that a substantial number of votes for Ms Ebanks must have been double counted as the total number declared was way over what could have been validly cast on the number of ballot papers issued.
The result ought to have been 1,329 votes for Ms Ebanks with the result that her seat would have gone to Ms Grundy.
Ms Grundy's counsel, Gavin Millar QC, told Mr Justice Keith at London's High Court that it was important that the matter was resolved quickly.
"The basis upon which she brings her claim is very straightforward. She wants a recount because the count was wrong and she has been told that by the Returning Officer."
The Returning Officer did not oppose the application but a letter sent on behalf of Ms Ebanks, who did not attend and was not represented, asked for it to be "stayed".
The judge ordered that a scrutiny and recount of the votes cast should take place in London on July 3.
