Eastbourne Lib Dem campaigner smeared by Telegraph cleared by police

By Stephen Tall | Sun 16th May 2010 - 11:30 am

Just a day before polls opened the Daily Telegraph splashed with the sensational headline, Senior Liberal Democrat arrested over ‘sabotage’:

A senior Liberal Democrat campaigner has been arrested for allegedly trying to sabotage the Conservatives’ campaign in a key marginal seat in Thursday’s general election. The official understood to have failed to present himself at a police station in the south east of England. He is closely involved in the battle in Eastbourne against the Tories, where the Liberal Democrats held a 775 majority [untrue: it was a Conseavtive seat – Ed.] at the last election.

Compare that smear-without-substance with this more sober headline in the Rye and Battle Observer, Lib Dem campaigner is cleared:

A LIBERAL Democrat campaigner arrested on suspicion of harassing rival volunteers and the theft of Conservative election signs has been cleared of all allegations by police. … Chair of the Eastbourne Liberal Democrat Association Beryl Healy said there had never been any evidence the Lib Dems had touched Conservative boards. “It was sad the Conservatives accused, without any proof at all, a Lib Dem volunteer who was subjected to being arrested and having his house searched,” said Mrs Healy. “I really feel the Conservatives manufactured the accusations and should publicly apologise.”

Read more by Stephen Tall or more about beryl healy or eastbourne.
This entry was posted in News.

4 Comments

Grumpy Old Man 16th May '10 - 12:56pm

I hope the person in question gets loads of cash from the DT. As to the tribalism, aren’t we a coalition now? how about a bit of Chair-to Chair discussion over a Latte?
Sesenco 16th May '10 - 2:34pm

Can we expect Lord Waterson of Eastbourne to be made SoS for Good Manners and Gentlemanly Behaviour?
Michael Seymour 17th May '10 - 10:44am

My e-mail about how VAT discriminates against the lower paid and the poor, has not as far as I know, been published.

If it has, tell me where>
Stephen Tall 17th May '10 - 10:53am

Michael – there’s no trace of the comment in our systems. However, please note our comments policy request that comments be on topic. We do reserve the right to delete comments unrelated to the article. More general comments which don’t fit a particular thread are best submitted in the Daily View posts on Lib Dem Voice.