Labour lose seats in by-election

Six new councillors have been voted in in Birmingham in a re-run of the 2004 local elections after vote rigging.

The representatives for Aston and Bordesley Green were forced to step down after the Electoral Commissioner found evidence of postal ballot abuse.

One councillor was later cleared, on appeal, of corrupt practices.

In Aston the Liberal Democrats won three seats and in Bordesley Green the People's Justice Party won two and the Labour Party took one.

'Long battle'

Commissioner Richard Mawrey QC upheld allegations of postal fraud relating to the ballot of 10 June last year.

The results were declared void and a re-run ordered.

Liberal Democrat councillor Ayoub Khan, whose party brought the election petition which forced the re-run in Aston, said: "This has been a very long battle for us as the petition took 12 months to come to court and to succeed."

The results will not change the balance of power on Birmingham City Council, which is currently ruled by a Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition.

Labour now has 46 seats, the Conservatives 39, while the Liberal Democrats have 31.

Sir Albert Bore, the leader of Birmingham's Labour group, acknowledged that his party had suffered a setback but declined to comment on whether the fraud inquiry had contributed to the defeats.