Election chiefs in Brexit bias row

SENIOR Electoral Commission members have faced calls to resign after voicing opposition to Brexit.

The watchdog’s chairman and three of his commissioners are being scrutinised over comments criticising the Brexit campaign – some even suggesting the referendum result could be overturned.

Commissioners are bound by a code of conduct requiring them to act to ‘uphold its impartiality’.

But last month it emerged that before he was appointed, chairman Sir John Holmes had spoken of his ‘regret’ at the referendum and condemned the ‘panoply of Eurosceptic nonsense’ by proBrexit campaigners. Commissioners Bridget Prentice, Lord Horam and Professor David Howarth also criticised Brexit while in the post.

Former Labour MP Miss Prentice said Tony Blair’s suggestion the referendum result could be overturned was ‘spot on’ while Lord Horam said there was ‘great logic’ in a second referendum. Mr Howarth said the result could not ‘bind the young’, as Leave voters would die out and be replaced by Remainers.

The Electoral Commission has dismissed calls for the commissioners to resign.