PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Bob Barr (01925 751817)
Date: 14 July 2011
LABOUR’S DIRTY DECEIT IN POULTON NORTH BY-ELECTION
“Labour have sunk to the dirty trick of a deceitful leaflet, rather than telling the electorate what their young, inexperienced and absent candidate has to offer Poulton North.” says Bob Barr the Liberal Democrat spokesman on planning matters on Warrington Borough Council.
Writing about the potential development of open land at Peel Hall, not even in the contested Poulton North ward, Labour say “No secret deals.” they are right, there are no secret deals, but that is not what the leaflet implies.
They describe the outrage of Cinnamon Brow residents at council officers having talks with a developer. Officers held a routine meeting with a developer two days before the May elections to discuss a proposal to fund football fields if some housing was allowed. Not the 1000 houses mentioned in the leaflet but no more than 150. The developer was told that it was not Council policy to build in this area in the foreseeable future.
Ashley Pemberton, the Labour candidate, is then credited with a slur against the Liberal Democrats. “These discussions have been taking place for some time..” he says, “they must have been taking place when the Lib Dems were running the Council”. True, two days before the election. No Liberal Democrat was told about these discussions.
The Lib Dem policy was clear; there is no need to build at Peel Hall that is why the Lib Dem administration fought all the way to the High Court to keep Peel Hall in the Green Belt. It was Labour Government policy that defeated that effort and the threat of Labour Government intervention that put the Peel Hall land at risk.
The words put into Pemberton’s mouth bear a striking similarity to words previously attributed to, and then denied by, Helen Jones MP. Nothing is being sold off for a “fast buck”, none of this land is in Council ownership. “What have they got to hide?” Labour ask, knowing perfectly well that the answer is “Nothing!”
Warrington North Labour’s deceitful smear machine is in full flow as they fear that Colin Oliver, a popular, effective and well liked local candidate will take this seat for the Lib Dems. Having failed to find their own local or experienced candidate Labour are sinking to their usual dirty tricks.