These photographs have clearly been altered. This is wrong. This man is clearly unfit to be a member of parliament. When you send out an election address it has to be right – his is not.
So said Phil Woolas in 2005 when he accused the Lib Dem Tony Dawson of doctoring an election photo, an accusation Dawson strongly denied.
Odd, then, that Mr Woolas should have put out a newspaper in the 2010 general election campaign which appears to use a clearly photoshopped picture to imply that his Lib Dem opponent Elwyn Watkins was having his collar felt by the the local constabulary.
Nick Thornsby has the details, showing how a photo of Elwyn Watkins was pasted on top of an image of armed police found on the Internet.
Phil Woolas is due in court over another election-related matter. He’s accused of swaying the election result by making false accusations about his opponent accepting foreign donations and having links to extremists.
Woolas held his Oldham East and Saddleworth seat for Labour, beating Lib Dem Watkins by 103 votes in May. The hearing begins on 11th September and could result in the election being re-run.
11 Comments
Doesn’t actually look like your man is being arrested though does it? It is as you say “clearly photoshopped”. An illustration to a factual story about a Newsnight programme in which it was claimed by a former employee, a Lib Demmer, that they had been exploited and paid cash in hand and well under the NMW. That wouldn’t be arrestable would it?
But back to the picture it absolutely doesn’t look like an arrest does it? Yes, it’s a bit silly. Overgrown schoolboy humour – see also ee ba gum piece – and probably not very effective. But this bleating seems rather ridiculous.
Lest we forget in next door Rochdale that fine upstanding Liberal Democrat ex-MP issued a blatantly doctored picture of himself, looking quite frankly oddly unshabby, just as he was whining about airbrushing of models, denied it was doctored, just as the Cameron story hit home, but was found out.
Where are all Elwyn’s leaflets anyway? And Hennigan’s attack numbers and extraordinary press briefings?
Political fliers in them there hills are like a Private Eye meets Viz Comics Away Day. Satire, slapstick, dad jokes and the like. Stunts that wouldn’t get past first being mentioned in most circles *actually* happen and may even get reported in local rags. Hennigan’s barefoot march springs to mind, Cyril’s 80th Birthday Back to the Future DeLorean, Rowen’s banana splits.
Incidentally – on the substance of the story – Rowen went on to employ at least one Lib Dem apparatchik who had *also* fallen out with Elwyn over alleged underpayment. Bit of a pattern.
Vile. I wouldn’t vote for him if I lived in his constituency.
Clearly Mr Paul is of the Labour troll variety that never sees anything wrong in what Labour does, Mr Paul this is what Starlin did he airbrushed pictures. Presumably the purges in the old Soviet Union were all the figment of western propaganda as well. This is a lick spittle defence which does you a deserves, and if you sincerely believe such clamp trap. Woolas is a scab on democracy and his entire career a stain on the Labour parties reputation. I such you return to the world of you fellow trolls where these views will not be challenged. What do you think of Woolas last leaflet or are you so blinkered by party prejudice that the truth passes you by without once interfering with your conscience if you have one. There are socialists that can see how repugnant what this man has done, why cannot you?
Horrible man. Represents the lowest of the low in British Politics. Governs people using fear.
http://stevebeasant.mycouncillor.org.uk/files/2010/08/philwoolasleaflet.jpg – enough said
Chris Paul v The Rest Of The World, Part 97
On his own site Chris Paul has made numerous condemnations of photoshopping, and rightly so. When it is done clumsily he attacks it even more. But when the Labour Party churn out lies like this it suddenly becomes irony.
“When you send out an election address it has to be right.”
Yes, it has to say what you really believe about VAT, and when to cut spending. I hope Nick Clegg is reading this!
The photo doesn’t look anything like an arrest, and it’s high time that the Liberal Democrats became more thick-skinned, particularly now that you’re in government.
Instead of provoking more animosity both to and from Labour, it’s time you started listening to George Kendall’s common sense and looked towards building bridges. Both parties might need each other one day soon!
In answer to the articles question, Yes.
Here’s a thought – if there is a by-election, on current poll ratings, would the Lib Dems actually win it? Especially if it occurs in the new(*) Labour leader’s honeymoon period…
(yes that’s a pun. Sorry…!)
@Mike(The Labour one)
“Vile. I wouldn’t vote for him if I lived in his constituency.”
Good for you. When Labour supporters like yourself stand up for principle, it’s good for politics, and good for the reputation of Labour.
He should have relied on a good old fashioned bare face lie like my Lib-Dem candidate. “Only the lib-dems can keep out the Tories”.
Oh,don’t worry, Woolas relied on good old fashioned bare faced lies too.
Iain, I really am disappointed in you trying to score petty political points on this one when you consider the sad record of Cheadle’s Lib Dem MP – the man you follow around posting leaflets for.
In case it’s slipped your memory Mark Hunter got caught up in a dodgy leaflet storm just before the General Election.
Here it is in The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/election2010/2947779/Libs-fib-over-great-gran-leaflet.html
Do you remember now? Mark Hunter grabbing a local grandmother, forcing her to appear in a photo with him and then making up a quote of support from her and putting it out on a leaflet.
This was an 86 year old woman who is your neighbour Iain. And you exploited her terribly.
Shame on you.
Clerical error my arse!