Days before the election, the number of its residents with postal votes suddenly doubled, from 34 to 71. Fifty-five of those 71 votes were cast — an extraordinary 77 per cent. I went from door to door in Brune House. The son of one resident told me: “My mother normally votes down at the polling station but Gulam Robbani supporters came and got her to sign up for a postal vote. After the ballot paper arrived, this girl came and asked her to hand it over. My mum doesn’t speak English — she has no idea she’s not supposed to give her vote.” A second voter in Brune House, Husneara Khanam, said that workers claiming to be for Mr Robbani had collected her and her husband’s vote.