Big three all happily process postal vote applications

While Conservative leader Michael Howard condemns Tony Blair for not following Electoral Commission guidelines, it turns out all of the big three parties in the UK happily go along with one of the watered-down rules, namely allowing parties to process postal vote appliations. Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems all have, as part of their election material, a form and envelope for postal vote applications; each party's respective envelope is addressed to the party's processing centre, rather than the local electoral officer. Allowing a party contesting an election to hand over application forms belies a serious conflict of interest, yet the parties refused to agree with the Electoral Commission's ruling that this should not take place; the relevant rule was watered down to a mere recommendation.

The Guardian also detail some marginal seats which have had enormous rises in postal vote applications, as does the BBC. These include:

• Haltemprice and Howden (1,903 majority; 9,800 postal vote applications)
• Surrey South West (861; 10,000)
• Guildford (538; 14,000)
• South Dorset (153; 3,500)
• Torridge & West Devon (1,200; 10,000)

It'll be worth keeping an eye on all of these seats come election time; any more I find and I'll add them to the list.