political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Monday, May 01, 2006
Labour Forced to Recall 'Racist' Leaflet
My spies tell me that Labour have until 2pm on Tuesday to print and deliver a new election address in a ward in south-east London after a sitting Labour councillor effectively called one of the Tory candidates a racist in it (the charge was repeated at a hustings as well apparently). Libel lawyers Carter Ruck got involved and informed Labour that they should issue a full retraction to every house they delivered to. At first Labour did nothing and said they were "consulting their lawyers" but then it was pointed out that it was their houses that were at stake should a libel case reach court and they suffer Carter Ruck's costs. They agreed they would deliver a new address retracting all libelous comments by Tuesday.
My immediate reaction is to call this dirty tricks... But if the Conservative candidate is racist, I hope the local association will take matters into their own hands... Do we know?
ReplyDeleteI understand you have some experience with delivering leaflets containing a retraction of remarks you made about an opponent
ReplyDeletenoorderling, Indeed so! I hasten to add that it was nothing to do with racism, merely over where my opponent lived!
ReplyDeleteActually, Iain, if what I've just been told by an MP, you might need to get in touch with Carter Ruck yourself because Mr Prescott's solicitors have been contacted about your 'Daily Mail'leak... so I hope your journo freinds can make it stand up, so to speak. It's a dirty business this litigation... and costly.
ReplyDeleteBob, as I only posted it at 7.55 I am flattered that Labour MPs are so glued to my blog that they can have advised Mr P's solicitors so quickly! I am 100% confident this is true otherwise I would not have posted it, I can assure you.
ReplyDeleteGavin. The Labour leaflet in question attributed quotes to the Conservative candidate that did not appear in the article, rather were those from the Sunday Times' sub editor in the introduction.
ReplyDeleteThe quotes they used never appeared in any of the text written by the candidate. The article was actually an attack on middle class lefties rather than on any racial group.
Further, these false allegations were made by one of the Labour candidates at a public hustings meeting.
Libel and slander in one week. Disgusting tactics, but of no surprise to anyone who's ever come accros the Greenwich & Woolwich Labour Party
The Sunday Times article by Tory candidate Peter Whittle is here.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.timesonline.co.uk
/article/0,,2092-2003576.00.html
Will be interesting to see whether the electorate consider that Labour have been caught out in an unfair personal attack or whether the Tory use of lawyers, rather than rebutting the allegations themselves, will be seen as bullying.
Anyway, the Tories did put out a rebuttal-I got a leaflet actually giving the url of the article and inviting people to make up their own mind rather than listening to Labour smears.
ReplyDelete