Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Oh to be in Eastbourne Tomorrow

I hear a LibDem activist in Eastbourne has been arrested under suspicion of theft and harrassment. Something for Nick Clegg to address when he visits Eastbourne tomorrow at 11am.

Or do I sense a change of itinerary in the air...?

24 comments:

Duncan Borrowman said...

In all three General Elections I agented in Orpington (1987, 1992, 1997) Tories were seen vandalising or stealing stakeboards. Glass houses...

Keiran Macintosh said...

Yeah, that'd be nice of Nick. Maybe then Cameron will comment on the suspension of two councillors sharing racist email jokes? what's good for the goose... wot wot eh?

Iain Dale said...

Duncan, old chap, from hat I hear it's a bit more serious than that.

But you are right, all parties have been guilty of this in the past. In Broadland the Tories and LibDems have shared information to ascertain that UKIP have been vandalising their boards.

Ean Craigie said...

Poor Duncan did they make faces at you as well. Lot different from this little piece of alledged malpractise

Joe Public said...

Well the LimpDems couldn't let just troughing Lab & Con MPs be charged with criminal activity, could they?

DespairingLiberal said...

So far, this story is only on Sky. How interesting.

And no, it isn't more serious than that - according to Sky, who of course all independent-minded people always trust implicitly, he was arrested for vandalising posters.

I decided to check on this and have phoned East Sussex LibDems. THERE IS NO ARREST ON THEFT CHARGES.

Will you please revise your headline to remove the theft arrest allegation Iain? Thanks.

DespairingLiberal said...

Police in East Sussex are not confirming that he is from any particular political party.

If this is a pre-planned smear by Murdoch press/Tory blogs, it stinks to high heaven.

eoghan said...

If Clegg has any sense he'll quietly pull his visit. A local issue like that won't cause a ripple this close to the election, but a visit from the leader could embarrass both the local party and the national one.

JMB said...

It's on the BBC News website

Man arrested over election poster theft in Eastbourne

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8661112.stm

Iain Dale said...

Jesus wept. It has been reported on the BBC News Channel and is on the BBC website.Last time I looked the BBC wasn't owned by Murdoch, Ashcroft or the Devil himself.

You're increasingly making a real fool of yourself on this site.

no longer anonymous said...

Aren't the Lib Dems expecting to take this seat from the Tories? Can anybody local explain how the Tories cocked this up?

Claire French said...

I live in Eastbourne. Every local and general election people do the same thing. Not only to Conservative posters... but usually. Also, the latest 'vandalism' said to vote UKIP. Not really a Lib Dem slogan.

DespairingLiberal said...

OK, when I checked, it wasn't being carried on the Beeb.

The police are still not saying who he is, so I don't know how the journalists know, but I suppose they must have theor sources.

Looks like someone got a bit politically over-enthusiastic, but I don't really understand how it can be a crime to vandalise Tory posters by any normal international standards of human rights.

DespairingLiberal said...

@Englishman, I think you'll find if a young Tory does it, it's called "high jinks" or a "jolly wheeze". If one of the oink parties does it, it's called a crime.

Don't let's even get started on what the young Bullingdons got up to in Oxford....

James Chard said...

I'm not condoning it, Iain, but which election can you think of where a few posters (of all parties) weren't torn down? It isn't a good thing but... seriously.

Anonymous said...

So many deluded Libdems here. Cleggy says that he will not insist on PR. These should be hyperventilating now.

Mirtha Tidville said...

Dont feed the trolls Iain.....`Despairing` seems a pretty apt description to be honest...

no longer anonymous said...

DespairingLiberal - it appears to be a particularly LibDem tactic. It may be because they have a disproportionate number of younger student supporters who think it's a good laugh. I see that on ConHome it's noted that Labour don't get up to this sort of thing and even have troubles with the Lib Dems themselves.

Lossie Beachcomber said...

The Lib Dems consistently hold themselves up as the shining light of truth, goodness and justice for all in this campaign. The truth is that they are exactly the same as the other parties when it comes to seeking election and the power that leads to.

The fact of the matter is that they are even more dishonest than the others. Smears, lies and now vandalism a perfect set of values for the new messiahs.

Colin Hall said...

Here in Sutton we thought the Tories were nicking our posterboards and the Tories thought we were nicking or vandalising theirs. It turned out to be a UKIP activist who was caught red (or is it blue and yellow) handed.

Blackacre said...

Odd how both Labour and Conservative bloggers are laying into the LibDems now having pointedly ignored them as far as possible in the run up to the campaign. Are you all feeling a bit threatened?

JMB said...

Now in the Eastbourne Herald

Lib Dem campaigner arrested over signs theft

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/Lib-Dem-campaigner-arrested-over.6273123.jp

"Over 300 Conservative posters have been reported stolen in recent days.

Sussex Police said the Eastbourne man - who was a volunteer for the party and who is not Stephen Lloyd - surrendered himself to police in the company of his solicitor shortly after 6pm. "

JMB said...

Seems to be everywhere

Southern Daily Echo

Election poster thefts investigated by police

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8135895.Election_poster_thefts_investigated_by_police/

"Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have complained of the vandalism and the over night disappearance of prominent posters in the tight race for Romsey and Southampton North. "

"Similar complaints of poster attacks have been made by the Tories and Lib Dems in Winchester."

Cantstandcant said...

Iain, I assume, given the glee with which you reported events in Eastbourne, you will also be updating your readers on this - involving a different political party - from Peterborough?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8662814.stm