Conservative members who vote by post in the party’s leadership election will have to pay for the privilege.
Bob Blackman, the 1922 committee chairman and the contest’s returning officer, told GB News that members who voted by post will have to cover the cost of sending the completed ballots back to the party.
Ballot packs are being sent to out to tens of thousands of Conservative members from today as the party’s leadership election draws to a close after months of debate, the party confirmed.
They are due to arrive with members on Thursday or Friday, just as the two candidates Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will face each other in a leadership event in front of members live on GB News, at 7pm on Thursday night.
Each pack includes instructions on how to vote by post or online, a message from Blackman and a ‘manifesto’ from each candidate.
Blackman told GB News: “Members will receive a pack, which will include a letter from me with instructions on how to vote electronically, manifestoes from both candidates, a ballot paper if they wish to vote by post.”
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Bob Blackman told GB News that members who voted by post will have to cover the cost of sending the completed ballots back to the party
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Blackman defended the decision to ask members to pay for the postage for their ballot papers.
He told GB News: “If they want to do a postal vote they have got to cover the cost, if they want to vote electronically it is free of charge.”
