Adam Bienkov has the story:
Yesterday was the start of the local elections campaign here in London and the fight is already getting dirty.
One such scrap is taking place in ultra marginal Waltham Forest where the Lib Dems are furious at “Labour’s lies” about police numbers.
Labour leaflets claim that the Lib Dems “want to cut the number of police in Waltham Forest” whilst being “in cahoots with Tory mayor Boris plans to cut police numbers.”
The Lib Dems deny this, pointing to their fervent opposition to Boris’s police cuts on the London Asssembly.
The piece goes on to provide more evidence from the Liberal Democrats, including the public record of votes against the cuts, but then ends with this:
I emailed Waltham Forest Labour party for an explanation of their claims yesterday, but unfortunately they have as yet failed to respond.
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4 Comments
This is just the start. When Labour are desperate (which has been frequently, recently) they always resort to making stuff up to salvage votes. Later in the campaign you will be on the receiving end of entirely synthetic campaigns designed to alarm the public and scare them into voting Labour. This is standard copy for Labour in the cities. We’ve seen it here before in Bristol and will again.
First Miranda Grell was exposed in court as vile lying homophobic bigot and stripped of the council seat she won by evil lies…
Then Leyton & Wanstead MP Harry Cohen was exposed as one of Parliament’s biggest expenses frauds, was forced to stand down and is now facing another police investigation…
Then, after their two police cases, Labour lies about the police. You couldn’t make it up – but they did!
Hey, Waltham Forest Labour, you bunch of lying crooks – shouldn’t it be ‘three strikes and you’re out of office’?
THE Liberal Democrat local election campaign is in disarray after it emerged that three senior councillors, including the council’s deputy leader, have been ditched by the party.
Hopes that the Lib Dems, who currently run the council in coalition with Labour, could become the biggest party look to be in ruins after the party confirmed leader John Macklin, cabinet member for environment Bob Belam and chief whip Bob Carey will not stand for the party on May 6.
A party spokesman admitted the move was the result of an internal dispute, but did not provide any further detail.
But the Guardian understands the party’s decision to ditch the three followed a bitter row over an attempt by members sitting on the Walthamstow executive to de-select Cllr Carey, who represents Chapel End ward with Cllrs Macklin and Belam.
Cllr Macklin admitted there has been concern about the executive’s candidate selection for some time.
He said: “There has been a dispute about issues around candidates selected in several wards, including Chapel End.
“There has been concern about inappropriate candidates being selected for target level seats.
“The issue has been going on for several months and I don’t think it is something that has been completely resolved.
“Myself, Bob Carey and Bob Belam are the best people to represent Chapel End ward because we have worked the area for years and have listened and acted on residents’ complaints.”
Cllr Macklin said he was “bitterly disappointed” that he was having to talk in public about the row and conceded it is “not good” for the party.
He added that he had not decided whether to stand as an independent.
A spokesman for the Lib Dem London region party said: “The local and regional executive have agreed the conclusion of internal mediation and no members have been suspended.”
The Walthamstow Executive is made up of members and activists including Cllr Johar Khan, Cllr Bob Wheatley and Walthamstow parliamentary candidate Farid Ahmed.
Carl’s quote frmo the regional party that no-one was suspended has turned out to be false. in addition to the 3 deselected councillors, who remain in the party but are standing as independents, 5 other councillors in another faction were suspended from the group, but have been advised to appeal. The whole thing is a total dog’s dinner and will continue like a running sore until Cowley Street wakes up to the fact they have a nasty little faction operating in Waltham Forest wrecking the party.
http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2010/02/16/the-deselection-that-dare-not-speak-its-name-8019535/
http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2010/04/07/local-coup-in-lib-dems-8326202/
http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2010/04/22/local-election-news-in-the-high-street-ward-8428371/
This disgraceful affair is all over the local paper and is likely to have a major impact on the party’s prospects for yeasr to come. .