RISHI Sunak’s “deeply irresponsible” decision to call an election in the Scottish school holidays at short notice has sparked chaos with the delivery of postal votes, Patrick Harvie has said.
On a visit to a mental health charity in Glasgow, the Scottish Greens co-leader said widespread delays in postal votes being delivered are a “genuine worry”, particularly as schools in all but two council areas in Scotland have already broken up for the summer.
Some Scottish councils, including in Edinburgh and Fife, have had to set up emergency facilities for those who have not received their postal votes so they can cast their ballot in person.
Sunak said on Monday he was not worried about the delays which could leave people disenfranchised.
Many have blamed Royal Mail for the fiasco, with the Alba Party insisting it needs to be brought back into public hands.
But Royal Mail has pointed the finger at the government and has called for a review of how the printing and administration of postal votes is handed before papers are given to the organisation.
Harvie was also quick to blame Sunak for throwing the system into chaos.
He told The National: “I’m not at all surprised Rishi Sunak is dismissive about the concerns around postal voting.
“It’s his decision to time this election right at the start of the Scottish school holidays that’s resulted in this huge uptick in the demand for postal voting, and that combined with the short notice is what has thrown the system into some chaos.
“It’s a genuine worry so I would urge anyone who has still not received their postal vote to get in touch with the election office in your local council. Please try and exercise your vote if you can.
“But Rishi Sunak has taken a deeply irresponsible decision that’s resulted in this chaos and it’s just one more reason why he has to go.”
Royal Mail has insisted it has no backlog of postal votes and is delivering papers as soon as they arrive into the network.
First Minister John Swinney reacted with fury after Downing Street dismissed concerns about the situation suggesting Westminster was making it “ever harder” to exercise the right to vote.
He said: "For the Prime Minister to dismiss and ignore the concerns of Scottish voters who are being denied their right to vote is a democratic disgrace.
“For voters in Scotland who will get the chance to vote on Thursday, it's one more reason to give this Prime Minister and the Tories the democratic drubbing they so richly deserve.”
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said that the postal voting system needs “huge reform”.
The Electoral Commission said it will look into the administration of postal voting after this election, while the Local Government Association called for a review of the already “overburdened” system put under extra pressure by an “unprecedented increase” in people voting by post.
