Narrow win for Lib Dems in Dollis Hill

Alison Hopkins, the Liberal Democrat candidate, beat Parvez Ahmed (Labour) by only 37 votes in the Dollis Hill by-election.

RESULT (2010 local election total for each party  in brackets)

Alison Hopkins (Lib Dem) 1205  46.49% (41%)
Ahmed Parvez (Labour)     1168 45.06% (39%)
Samer Ahmedali (Conservative) 140 5.40% (17%)
Pete Murry (Green) 79 3.05% (3%)

Rejected papers: 21

Turnout: 29.8% 

Dollis Hill shenanigans continue with scurrilous leaflet

Following the controversy over the Lib Dem leaflets with a near invisible imprint which was last week  raised in Parliament via a Labour attack on Sarah Teather, a leaflet emerged this weekend with no imprint at all.

Printed on one side of A5 in black and white it is is headed  GUILTY . Beneath that word are portraits of Sarah Teather and two Lib Dem councillors and a list of their alleged misdemeanours it goes on to urge 'Vote for whoever you want. Don't vote for Lib Dem losers'.

I am not sure of the legal situation regarding this particular leaflet but it does not state who has produced it nor have any details of the printer.

As the leaflet makes a couple of environmental points I should make clear that it has nothing to do with the Greens and we disassociate ourselves from its contents.

We have distributed the London Green News in some parts of Brent, including Dollis Hill, but are delivering only one A5 leaflet for the by-election.  This is at the most 1/20th of the Lib Dem's distribution per household!

When is a Lib Dem leaflet not a Lib Dem leaflet - see for yourselves

In a previous post I mentioned Pete Murry's puzzlement at an anti-Labour leaflet that came through his door without any advocacy of another candidate or party. He eventually discovered after forensic analysis where it came from. Here is the evidence as requested by someone who commented on my earlier posting LINK

The leaflet distributed in the Dollis Hill by-election

Now here is a challenge. Can you find the imprint which is required by electoral law? Put on your specs or get out your magnifying glass. Still can't see it?

Okay, look carefully at the fold on the first page of the leaflet.... can you see what looks looks like an ant's footprints? Yes?

Well done - you have won the '2012 Spot the near anonymous Lib Dem leaflet imprint competition'.

How dodgy is that? If cigarette manufacturers tried the same trick with the 'Smoking Kills' warning they'd be hauled through the courts.

Audacious Lib Dems attack Labour on cuts in near anonymous leaflet

Alison Hopkins hidden in the fold

My Green Party comrade Pete Murry, our candidate for the Dollis Hill by-election has posted an interesting piece on the Brent Greens blog LINK

What at first appeared to be an anti-cuts leaflet with no obvious party identification lambasted Labour over cuts and included quotes from trades unionists Bob Crow and Dave Prentice criticising Labour cuts. The leaflet is headlined: Who Can You Trust to STOP THE CUTS.  It was only after a meticulous search that Pete found, printed in a tiny font along the leaflet's fold, that it was printed on behalf of Alison Hopkins the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Pete Murry comments:

 This verges on a 'dirty trick'  Lib Dem bid for disillusioned Labour voters, whilst totally omitting any mention of Lib Dem involvement in coalition government cuts. I can at least say, as Green Party candidate in the Dollis Hill by-election, and Secretary of the Green Party Trade Union Group that the Green Party nationally opposes cuts and supports Trade Union opposition to them through its affiliation to the Coalition of Resistance and its support for the creation of at least one million jobs to build the infrastructure that the country needs for a low carbon economy that can help to combat climate change. What can the Lib Dem’s say?

That they are part of a coalition imposing swingeing cuts to public services and initiating privatisation programs that are making ordinary people pay for a crisis of international finance? That is the truth. So, no wonder they don’t wish to acknowledge it by pushing leaflets through voters’ doors that seem almost ashamed to ask people to vote Lib Dem

Make sure you get to vote in the Dollis Hill by-election

New applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Brent Town Hall by midnight on Wednesday 7 March 2012.

New applications to vote by post or applications to change existing postal vote details must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Brent Town Hall by 5pm on Wednesday 7 March 2012.

New applications to vote by proxy must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 14 March 2012. However if you are a postal voter and you wish to appoint a proxy you will need to cancel your postal vote by 5pm on Wednesday 7 March 2012.

New applications to vote by proxy on the grounds of medical emergency must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Thursday 22 March 2012.

• Vote by post / proxy
• Register to vote
• Contact Electoral Services

Tories select Harrow resident to fight Dollis Hill by-election

Despite recent controversies over two Brent councillors who have moved out of the borough, Brent Conservatives have selected a Harrow resident to as their candidate for the Dollis Hill by-election. All the other candidates live in NW2.

Samer Ahmedali lives in Palmerston Road, which is in Harrow's Marlborough ward. Ahmedali last stood in Welsh Harp ward achieving 6% of the vote. He is Deputy Chairman of Brent Central Conservative's Policy Forum according to their website.

Pete Murry the REAL alternative in Dollis Hill

Pete Murry with the Green Party banner

Brent Green Party have selected Pete Murry as our candidate for the Dollis Hill by-election which takes place on March 22nd.

Pete, who lives in the ward, worked at the College of North West London for more than 20 years, and has deep routes in the borough. Pete although not as physically active as he would like to be, has involved himself in local issues including the early days of the Brent Cross Coalition and currently the Brent Campaign Against Climate Change and Brent Fightback's campaign against council cuts.

Pete's candidature is strengthened by his work in the Green Party Trade Union Group where he has been successful in getting the Green Party's policies on the economy and the creation of green jobs a hearing  in the trade union movement. These policies are particularly relevant at the moment when all three mainstream parties have accepted the austerity agenda which is deepening the recession and creating unemployment. Pete says, "Current Coalition policies are almost the exact opposite to what is needed which is a programme of investment and job creation focussed on building the infrastructure that the country needs to combat climate change."

Locally Pete is opposed to what he sees as the  wasteful plan to demolish the existing Willesden Green Library Centre.

With Labour doing the Coalition's dirty work locally by implementing their cuts in Brent, the Green Party is the real alternative for residents caught in the pincer movement of a Labour council and a ConDem government.

Alison Hopkins to fight Dollis Hill by-election for Lib Dems

Alison Hopkins

Brent Liberal Democrats have selected Alison Hopkins as their candidate in the Dollis Hill by-election.

Alison Hopkins has been active in the Campaign for a Sustainable Brent Cross Development, was critical of the revised Brent waste strategy and its use of co-mingled collections, and  campaigned against the closure of Neasden library.

Labour selects Dollis Hill by-election candidate

Labour has selected Parvez Ahmed to be its candidate in the Dollis Hill by-election which takes place on Thursday March 22nd.

Krupesh Hirani writes on his blog that Ahmed is a well-known community actvist in the ward but he did not have a high recognition factor among locals I have spoken to.

The by-election should give local voters an opportunity to express their views on the Labour Council's record including their implementation of Coalition cuts and the controversial private partnership which will lead to the loss of the Old Willesden Library building and the Willesden Bookshop.