Labour MP, Andy Burnham, sends letter to dead woman urging her to vote for him
Andy Burnham is campaigning to become Greater Manchester's first ever elected mayor
LABOUR MP Andy Burnham has been slammed for writing to a dead woman urging her to vote for him - and recommending a postal vote if something “cropped up” to stop her getting to the polling station.
The former front-bencher is currently campaigning to become Greater Manchester’s first ever elected mayor.
But his campaign team has made a big error by sending a letter ahead of the election on May 4 addressed to the mum-of-four who died in hospital eight years ago.
And in another major blunder by the former Shadow Home Secretary, the letter, sent to the 80-year-old’s home address, was opened by her dementia suffering husband, who turns 91 next month.
Now the woman’s angry daughter, who wishes to remain anonymous, has blasted the front runner for the Greater Manchester job.
She fumed: “My mum passed away in October 2009 so how can this happen?
“What records are being used to send out these letters?
“If mum had died a couple of months ago or even a couple of years ago, I might have understood it. But not after all this time.
“To make matters worse my dad suffers from vascular dementia. I can’t imagine what he was thinking when he saw this letter addressed to his wife.
“How many other unsuspecting people have received letters asking dead relatives to vote?
“If Andy Burnham can ask a dead woman to vote for him, I dread to think what he might do if he becomes mayor.”
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The letter, with a logo and picture stating ‘Burnham for Mayor', was sent to the dead woman’s home in Tameside, Greater Manchester.
After listing his credentials, claiming he has the “strength and experience”, Burnham urges the woman to sign up for a postal vote.
However, the line in the letter is certain to not go down well with the woman’s bereaved relatives.
Burnham wrote: “It’s easy for something to crop up to stop you getting to the polling station on the day, this way you can vote early and don’t worry if you work late or get stuck in traffic.”
Burnham, who is MP for Leigh, is favourite to win the election.
The Sun has approached his campaign team for a comment.