MP Phil Woolas loses appeal over election court ruling

Dec 4 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FORMER Oldham East and Saddleworth MP and minister Phil Woolas has lost his High Court bid to overturn a decision stripping him of his Commons seat.

A specially convened election court declared void the general election result in the constituency.

It removed the ex-Treasury and Immigration Minister as the MP and banned him from standing for election for three years after finding him guilty of deliberately lying about a rival, Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins.

Yesterday Lord Justice Thomas, Mr Justice Tugendhat and Mrs Justice Nicola Davies upheld the court’s ruling and said there had been “illegal practice” by Mr Woolas.