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Lib Dems accuse Tories of dirty doorstep tricks
7:00am Thursday 24th April 2008
Comments (21)The campaign team for Conservative London Assembly candidate Steve O'Connell has been accused of taking Liberal Democrat literature from a resident's postbox and replacing it with their own propaganda.
Craig Ling, campaign manager for Liberal Democrat candidate Councillor Abigail Lock, claimed yesterday two residents at the Bedzed development in Hackbridge challenged Mr O'Connell while he was leafleting in the area after they caught one of his campaigners taking a Liberal Democrat leaflet out of their letter box and replacing it with their own.
“They were quite outraged actually and, from our perspective, there could be a group of people who are denied our messages.”
Craig Ling
"They were quite outraged actually and, from our perspective, there could be a group of people who are denied our messages," said Mr Ling.
Coun Lock said it was important that voters read all literature so they could make an informed choice. She said: "Also, those leaflets were paid for by residents of Sutton who support us. And they were delivered by volunteers."
They both called for Mr O'Connell, the Greater London Assembly Conservative candidate for Croydon and Sutton, to guarantee his campaign would not do this.
"We want a commitment from Mr O'Connell that this isn't going to be done by him or his campaigners," Mr Ling said.
Mr O'Connell, Croydon Council's cabinet member for public protection, denied he had ever taken Liberal Democrat literature out of a letter box.
"It is something I personally have never done. However, there are a lot of people doing stuff for me.
"This is very clearly not referring to me, although we have been up there delivering. I am not aware of any confrontation or any row."
He said, however, that he would expect his people to pick up other parties' literature for him to see.
"If there's a leaflet on the ground I expect my people to pick it up. If a bit of leaflet is hanging out then they pick it up. I'm sure it goes for Lib Dems, Labour and people generally. I don't think there's a big story," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Conservative Party said she could not comment on the allegations but that such behaviour would not be acceptable.
"We don't have any standard canvassing rules that we issue but we certainly wouldn't encourage anybody to do anything against the law."
Your Say YourEpsom Guardian
CT, Sutton says...
11:25am Thu 24 Apr 08
SV, Croydon says...
11:34am Thu 24 Apr 08
If the leaflet was inside the letterbox properly it could not be removed.
Col, Sutton says...
2:51pm Thu 24 Apr 08
These leaflets all say the same thing and they all end up in the same place - the bin.
peter, selhurst says...
3:34pm Thu 24 Apr 08
Mr J Jones, Carshalton says...
3:34pm Thu 24 Apr 08
Chris, Hackbridge says...
5:06pm Thu 24 Apr 08
Hand of History, Sutton says...
9:25am Fri 25 Apr 08
suttonpeople.com, sutton says...
10:47am Fri 25 Apr 08
Col wrote:Couldn't agree more. just a total waste of paper if you ask me.
I don\'t see what the fuss is about.
These leaflets all say the same thing and they all end up in the same place - the bin.
Adrian, Sutton says...
11:23am Fri 25 Apr 08
Mr J Jones wrote:What? So these other leaflets aren't from pizza companies? No wonder I couldn't get "Conservative" to bring me a large American Hot with extra chillis. The haughty woman on their switchboard was most unhelpful!
Col, Sutton. I couldn't have put it much better myself. Other than mine go in the recycle bin, of course. Along with the pizza leaflets.
Dave, Wallington says...
11:39am Fri 25 Apr 08
carly, london says...
2:32pm Fri 25 Apr 08
At least what it says is interesting!
ooooo could murder adeep pan pizza right now!!!
Mr J Jones, Carshalton says...
3:04pm Fri 25 Apr 08
carly wrote:Well, mysteriously I've just had a pizza leaflet shoved through my letterbox. It looks rather convincing, promising, satisfying and good value for money. None of which I know it will live up to?
to be honest, I find the pizza leaflets more useful!
At least what it says is interesting!
ooooo could murder adeep pan pizza right now!!!
Oh sorry, my mistake. It's actually a (insert any political candidate here) piece of literature. ;o)
Catherine, Croydon says...
3:54pm Fri 25 Apr 08
sguised-as-a-local-p
aper things?
We've got one from the BNP and one from either Liberal Democrats or Labour (I didn't look that closely - I could tell from the first glance that it was a weak attempt to trick people into reading their propaganda).
I don't get many pizza leaflets, but there are loads offering me plastic windows.
Bob, Croydon says...
4:39pm Fri 25 Apr 08
Typical Tory tactics!
Kes, Upper Norwood says...
9:21pm Fri 25 Apr 08
AC, Croydon says...
6:33pm Sat 26 Apr 08
If the people of this 'conservation estate' (eyesore) are so green minded believing in only using what's needed when it comes to everyday life then i'd have thought they'd have been glad that someone took the junk away from them and only left them with something they actually needed!
The liberal literature needs only to say one line to it's supporters anyway...
"make sure your vote is wasted, make sure your vote doesn't count, vote nonsense, vote liberal..."
comeback?
Bob, Cheam says...
3:16pm Mon 28 Apr 08
Bob, Cheam says...
3:16pm Mon 28 Apr 08
Mike Hunt, Sutton says...
3:02pm Tue 29 Apr 08
Mike Hunt, Sutton says...
3:02pm Tue 29 Apr 08
Delivering: Conservative candidate Steve O'Connell said he wasn't aware of any row over leafleting
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DH, London says...
9:34am Thu 24 Apr 08
Perhaps she would also like to apologise for her party defacing Conservative Party posters during the last Mayoral elections by putting Lib Dem stickers all over them.