THE selection of a general secretary for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) may have to be relaunched after the trade union certification officer said that the election was “not conducted in accordance” with laws.

FBU informed the officer two weeks after the election of Steve Wright on January 14 that 3,059 of the 33,044 members eligible to participate in the ballot were not sent ballot papers.

The union said this was an “accidental omission” following a “misunderstanding” between the union and the independent scrutineer.