Sunday 1 March 2015

Kenton Tories force Labour to withdraw 'nasty leaflet' 'full of lies'

I met Cllr Reg Colwill while out campaigning in the Kenton by-election earlier today. He claimed that Labour had been forced to apologise for, and withdraw, a leaflet that they had put out attacking the Conservative Candidate Michael Maurice. The Tories alleged the 'nasty' leaflet was 'full of lies' about their candidate.

According to Colwill, Labour are printing an apology that the Tories will distribute.

Since being recognised as the official opposition by Labour the Kenton Conservatives have been quiescent in contrast to their Brondesbury Park Conservative counterparts.

The spat may change this.


The other candidates in the Kenton By-election, where voting takes place on Thursday, are:

Michaela Lichten GREEN
Vincent Lo LABOUR
Bob Wharton LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

26 comments:

Alison Hopkins said...

Rather reminds me of 2010, when Butler, John et al, had to write to every resident in Brent Central for the same reason.

It's actually pretty stupid: the agent can be imprisoned, would you believe.

Anonymous said...

What did the leaflet say?

Martin Francis said...

Frustratingly I haven't seen it. The Labour one I saw today was innocuous - mainly about Labour candidate's rise from family fish and chip shop to accountant at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Nothing about Maurice.

Alison Hopkins said...

If it had a Labour strapline credit, then they have to have kept copies. An FoI, perhaps? ;)

Unknown said...

Irony is:
Brent Labour complaining about 'cuts', which are the policy of their national party whilst putting forward a candidate that worked at PriceWaterHouse Coopers who are infamous for tax avoidance. What this also shows is that his time in the family business taught him nothing as it is through tax avoidance as aided and abetted by PWC that these multi-nationals are able to undercut small and medium size business and thus destroy our highstreets.

Scott Bartle
@mapesburygreen

Anonymous said...

"rise" suggests that honest business is beneath Labour.

Anonymous said...

Political parties are not covered under FoI legislation and they can put out whatever they like. Would have thought you'd know that with your dodgy bar charts

Anonymous said...

So they are advertising the fact that he works for the nation's premier tax-dodging advisors? Astonishing!

Alison Hopkins said...

Indeed. I suspect a chippie is rather more in touch with the everyday, too.

Anonymous said...

Working for PWC nothing to be proud of as they have been at centre of Luxembourg Corporate Tax dodge

http://www.icij.org/project/luxembourg-leaks/leaked-documents-expose-global-companies-secret-tax-deals-luxembourg

Anonymous said...

Amazing

Labour have such a majority and yet have to still resort to dirty tactics.

Let's hope the voting public wake up and see Brent Labour have been fooling everyone for their own means of protecting those at the top.

Anonymous said...

Can an agent be imprisoned for dodgy bar charts?

Anonymous said...

Letter of apology: http://anmblog.typepad.com/files/labour-party-apology.pdf

Anonymous said...

Not new for Brent Labour - It happened in Queens Park Ward back when they lost all their seats over the Towerblock.
A very nasty leaflet came out from them with some lies about a very nice lady standing another party.
For some reason they are very very BITCHY and down right nasty.

Anonymous said...

Me me me me I'm here too, it's all about me

Anonymous said...

that letter of apology is from 5 years ago and has nothing to do with this by-election - there is still no evidence to confirm this story at all

Martin Francis said...

Reg Colwill spoke to me personally and i reported what he told me. I have also republished his tweets on the matter. I have reported what he has said as 'claims' and 'allegations'. A copy of the apology letter (for Kenton) would be appreciated to substantiate the story.

Martin Francis said...

The text of the apology from James Rooschove, Labour Party solicitor, for Vincent Lo, states that they gave false information in claiming that the Conservative Candidate Mr Maurice was not going to support the Conservatives at the by-election and wouldn't even be voting for himself. 'This was completely untrue and we sincerely apologise for the false information our leaflet gave and we are deeply sorry to Mr Maurice for any harm he has suffered as a result of our mistake.'

Alison Hopkins said...

Good grief. Who on EARTH thought that was a sensible thing to publish in a leaflet?

Anonymous said...

PWC benefit Scroungers taking from citizens to put in the pockets of the wealthy.

Slowly the narrative is changing to big corporates being the real Uncle Scrouge

Anonymous said...

Labour Party apologises for distributing defamatory leaflets about Conservative rival in Kenton
http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/crime-court/labour_party_apologises_for_distributing_defamatory_leaflets_about_conservative_rival_in_kenton_1_3975589

Anonymous said...

Kilburn Times has published the story, including a copy of the defamatory leaflet here
http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/crime-court/labour_party_apologises_for_distributing_defamatory_leaflets_about_conservative_rival_in_kenton_1_3975589

Anonymous said...

They should apologise for attempting to exploit the immigration issue, not just for using forged info.

The subtext of the flyer is that the Tories are soft on immigration, so presumably Labour will be tougher. This is nasty dog-whistle anti-immigration stuff. In Brent of all places. Despicable.

Anonymous said...

What !!!

After Cara Davani being found via an employment tribunal to have racially discriminated against a former employee and Brent Labour use similar language !!!

Anonymous said...

This appears like a National panic from Labour as it may Labours vote in Scotland is likely to collapse.

Is this part of Labour nationally trying to compete with both UK and Tories on immigration ?

Anonymous said...

Are they saying that Kenton is an area where just because the Councillor's are Conservatives the population doesn't like immigrants?