Conservative leadership: UK voters 'issued two ballots' by mistake

Some members of the UK's ruling Conservative Party have been issued with more than one ballot paper to vote for the next party leader and Prime Minister, the BBC said in a report on Saturday.

One party insider estimated that more than a thousand voters could be affected.

Members are warned that voting twice will mean they are expelled, the Conservatives said.

"The ballot holds clear instructions that members voting more than once will be expelled," the party said.

Ballot papers have been dispatched to around 160,000 Conservative Party members around the country to choose between former London Mayor Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The vote closes on July 22, with the result will be announced the following day.

As they seek to win support from the party's members nationwide, both candidates will address the Young Conservatives Conference in Nottingham on Saturday, the BBC reported.

Johnson will set out a plan to reduce crime by permanently restoring stop and search powers nationwide which were restricted by out going Prime Minister Theresa May when she was Home Secretary in 2014. 

These powers have already been restored in seven areas with high knife crime on a trial basis.

He also plans to end the early release of violent offenders and address the causes of crime with a review of youth centre provision.

Meanwhile, Hunt is set to talk about serious leadership needed in the UK. IANS