Army veteran ‘threatened by SNP poll yobs’
POLICE are investigating two complaints that voters were subjected to intimidation by SNP supporters at a polling station. Former Army medic David Llewellyn, 83, said that he was confronted and threatened by two men at Newington Sports and Lei s ur e Centre in Annan, Dumfriesshire.
He added that they were wearing SNP badges and asked him to produce his ‘ voting card’, which he declined to do, before being asked who he was voting for.
Again Mr Llewellyn, who served in the Army for about 30 years, said he refused – but he claims the men then told him if he did not vote for the SNP, he would ‘get done’.
He drove away, fearing for his safety, and later told local Tory candidate David Mundell about the ordeal. Mr Mundell then notified Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.
A tweet from her about the i ncident l ed Dumfries and Galloway Council to claim online that there had been no intimidation – but it blundered by tweeting a photograph of the wrong polling station.
Embarrassingly for t he council, Police Scotland then released a statement saying that officers were ‘looking into’ the allegations.
Mr Llewellyn told the Mail: ‘I drove to the polling station on my own to check the disabled parking situation as my wife is in a wheelchair.
‘There were two men there, big-built, with blue- checked shirts and SNP badges. They were built like the side of a house.
‘They were big bruisers, like two big Sumo wrestlers. I don’t know who they were but they weren’t local.
‘One of them said, “Where is your voting card?” I asked, “Why?” Then I was asked, “Who are you going to vote for?” I said, “That’s for me to know.”
‘Then one of them said, “If you are going to vote other than the SNP, you are going to get done”.
‘So I said, “You are going to do an 83-year- old who served his country?” Then I turned the car around and left.’
After speaking to Mr Mundell, Mr Llewellyn returned to the polling station with his wife Brenda-Ann, 81, to find that the men had gone.
He said: ‘I can’t do much at my age against men like that. I have no idea who they were, but I have been voting since the age of 18 and I can tell you it’s the first time I have come up against something like this.’
He l ater spoke to police officers.
Last night, the Scottish Conservatives said another complainer, who has not yet been identified, had come forward.
A spokesman said: ‘ Two members of the public [including Mr Llewellyn] complained to us regarding a situation at Newington Sports and Leisure Polling Station in Annan. We have passed on their complaint to the electoral registration officer at the council and have spoken to Police Scotland.
‘We take all such reports seriously and always pass on the relevant information.’
Earlier, Miss Davidson had tweeted: ‘Disturbing reports of people being turned away from an Annan polling station by burly blokes if they say they don’t support a certain party.’
Police Scotland said it was ‘aware of the tweet from Ruth Davidson and is looking into the matter’.
Dumfries and Galloway Council then tweeted: ‘ No burly blokes outside Annan. Officers and police visiting frequently. No complaints re canvassers.’
But it later emerged the council had tweeted a photograph of the wrong polling station.
A Dumfries and Galloway Council spokesman said: ‘Election staff and Police Scotland have been visiting polling stations across Dumfries and Galloway throughout the day to make sure that voters can vote and that campaigners are acting responsibly.
‘ Police officers have been speaking to campaigners as part of their checks at the polling stations. This was the case at the Annan polling station.’
An SNP spokesman said: ‘We have no knowledge of this matter, but of course it is vital that every single person who wishes to cast their ballot is able to do so freely and fairly.
‘We have had a fantastic election campaign in Scotland, and nothing must be allowed to detract from that.’
‘Big bruisers, like Sumo wrestlers’