Labour MP could be forced to stand down

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Danny View member profile	Sep 13 2010, 02:21 PM Post #1
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 11 April 2006 Posts: 4,259 User: 457	Ex-immigration minister Phil Woolas set out to "make the white folk angry" in his election campaign, a specially-convened court heard. His defeated Lib Dem rival, Elwyn Watkins, is challenging his re-election as Oldham East and Saddleworth MP. Mr Watkins claims the vote was swayed by Labour leaflets containing false claims, in the first case of its kind for 99 years. Mr Woolas, who won with a majority of just 103 votes, denies the allegations. He says he will "robustly defend" himself. 'Sun vote' The court heard on Monday that diary entries kept by Labour MP Mr Woolas during the election campaign show he was "pretty convinced" he was going to lose. Prosecutor Helen Mountfield QC said he was concerned about the effects of an anti-Labour swing nationally, the expenses scandal and decisions taken by him as immigration minister, adding: "Mr Woolas and his team were playing for high stakes and came up with a strategy to deal with the perceived Liberal Democrat threat which they themselves described as 'risky'." "They set out to attack Mr Watkins personally and say whatever it took to turn the electorate against him." The court was told that false statements were made in three publications on behalf of Mr Woolas in the run-up to the election. She said: "Mr Woolas's team had made an overt and, some may say, shocking decision to set out to 'make the white folk angry' by depicting an alleged campaign by those who they described generically as Asians to 'take Phil out' and then present Mr Watkins as in league with them. "This was intended to galvanise the white Sun vote against him," she said. Miss Mountfield said Mr Woolas's team had said Mr Watkins had made statements to "woo" and "pander" to fanatics and militants and had refused "to condemn death threats which Mr Woolas claimed had been made against him because he was 'in the pay' of a rich Arab sheikh". They also accused him of spending more than allowed on election leaflets, of illicitly channelling funds from a foreign donor, and of failing to move into the constituency as promised, the court heard. Miss Mountfield said: "These statements were made in a desperate attempt to change the election result. "Mr Woolas made these false statements as part of a series of reckless and irresponsible steps in this campaign - using doctored photographs, misrepresenting facts, stooping even to fomenting racial divisions and tensions. He did it because he feared that if he didn't he would lose. "The petitioner fully supports the concept of robust political debate but that does not mean a free-for-all in which any candidate can say whatever they like." Funding questions The BBC's political editor for the North West Arif Ansari said Mr Woolas's team would argue that the statements they made were true. Mr Woolas is due to take the stand later in the week. Two High Court judges will rule on whether there should be a re-run of the Oldham East election, in a case brought under the rarely-used section 106 of the Representation of the People Act (1983). Under the act, anyone involved in an election who "makes or publishes any false statement of fact in relation to the candidate's personal character or conduct" is guilty of an illegal practice - unless they can show "reasonable grounds for believing, and did believe, that statement to be true". Saddleworth Civic Hall, where Parish Council meetings are often held, is temporarily becoming an election court - in the first case of its kind in 99 years - for the hearing, which is scheduled to last five days. Legally, the onus is on Mr Watkins to prove his case if he is to win. If found guilty, Mr Woolas could be fined and barred from public office, with a fresh election triggered.


Danny View member profile	Sep 13 2010, 02:22 PM Post #2
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 11 April 2006 Posts: 4,259 User: 457	If this idiot is barred from office it would be well-deserved. On a side-note, this could trigger a very interesting by-election, as this year's result turned the seat into a three-way marginal.


Qassändra View member profile	Sep 15 2010, 07:19 PM Post #3
DROTTNING! Joined: 15 April 2006 Posts: 63,953 User: 480	Phil Woolas would be no loss. By far one of my most despised Labour MPs. I still think Labour would probably win the by-election though, the Lib Dems don't stand a chance in hell of taking it unless it's contested by a Labourite who supported Woolas...


Suedehead2 View member profile	Oct 11 2010, 10:24 AM Post #4
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,653 User: 3,272	The verdict is expected on November 5. In the meantime Woolas has been appointed to the Shadow Home Office team so if he loses the case that will be an embarrassment for Ed Miliband.


Suedehead2 View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 12:25 PM Post #5
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,653 User: 3,272	The court has ordered a rerun of the election. It looks like Woolas will be able to stand again - if Labour select him. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11699888


Qassändra View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 12:28 PM Post #6
DROTTNING! Joined: 15 April 2006 Posts: 63,953 User: 480	I do hope they select somebody OTHER than Woolas, because quite sadly I think he's a near certainty to get in.


Suedehead2 View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 12:46 PM Post #7
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,653 User: 3,272	If Woolas does stand it wouldn't surprise me to see a Martin Bell type independent stand. These are the figures from May Woolas (Lab) 14,186 Watkins (LD) 14,083 Ali (Con) 11,773


Danny View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 02:25 PM Post #8
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 11 April 2006 Posts: 4,259 User: 457	Labour would be almost certain to win if they select anyone other than Woolas; if they stick with him, they might possibly be in trouble. I don't know what the hell Miliband was thinking when he kept him in the shadow team.


Suedehead2 View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 02:34 PM Post #9
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,653 User: 3,272	According to some reports Woolas will be barred from standing for election (or even voting) for three years. That should make Labour's task easier unless the Tories decide not to mount much of a campaign. There have been examples in local byelections (including in Oldham) of large numbers of former Tory voters switching to the Lib Dems to try to defeat Labour.


Brett-Butler View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 03:22 PM Post #10
Howdy, disco citizens Joined: 16 January 2010 Posts: 12,775 User: 10,455	Yes! A by-election. I always love these. This is also a good opportunity to see how the ConLib vote is doing, if both parties decide to run a candidate in the re-election. The Libs were within a whisker of winning, but it will be interesting to see if they can either clinch the vote, or if their partnership with the blues will destroy their vote.


Suedehead2 View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 03:30 PM Post #11
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,653 User: 3,272	QUOTE(Brett-Butler @ Nov 5 2010, 03:22 PM) Yes! A by-election. I always love these. This is also a good opportunity to see how the ConLib vote is doing, if both parties decide to run a candidate in the re-election. The Libs were within a whisker of winning, but it will be interesting to see if they can either clinch the vote, or if their partnership with the blues will destroy their vote. I'd say the Tories will put up a candidate. It's more a matter of how much effort they put into the campaign. If both the Tories and Lib Dems fight it vigorously Labour will probably win. If the Tories take a bit of a back seat the Lib Dems could take it with their loss of votes to Labour outweighed by Tories switching to the Lib Dems.


Danny View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 03:52 PM Post #12
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 11 April 2006 Posts: 4,259 User: 457	Labour have officially suspended Woolas.


Qassändra View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 04:08 PM Post #13
DROTTNING! Joined: 15 April 2006 Posts: 63,953 User: 480	Is it too early to get out the wine?


Danny View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 04:23 PM Post #14
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 11 April 2006 Posts: 4,259 User: 457	If the average swing in the polls since May's election is reflected in this by-election, Labour will comfortably hold the seat with 40% of the vote, with the Tories on 28% and the Lib Dems down to 21%. Of course, local factors will probably play a part - although, broadly speaking, the swing from Libs to Labour has been even greater in the north than nationally in the polls. I also fear the BNP might do quite well in this election, as the Lib Dems are clearly no longer going to get any "none of the above" votes like they've probably benefitted from in this constituency in the past.


GRIMLY FIENDISH View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 04:47 PM Post #15
Always wear a clean pair of knickers, cos you never know when th Joined: 12 March 2006 Posts: 18,586 User: 190	I have to say, I completely agree with this judgement, Woolas ran a sleazy, nasty, vicious campaign, and he should be booted out the party permanently frankly if Ed Milliband expects anyone to take his, ahem, "new" Labour seriously... But, let's just widen the scope here for a moment.. Woolas isn't exactly the only politician who lied to the electrate during the election campaing or screw votes out of people under false pretences, as in pretending to deliver stuff that they had no intentions of... (cough Clegg cough Hughes cough cough Cable cough).


Gerald View member profile	Nov 5 2010, 11:38 PM Post #16
Why don’t you say so? Joined: 11 October 2009 Posts: 7,331 User: 9,721	I'm actually sick of Labour. Ed Milband has ruined the soul of the party.


Qassändra View member profile	Nov 6 2010, 06:16 AM Post #17
DROTTNING! Joined: 15 April 2006 Posts: 63,953 User: 480	QUOTE(Kieran. @ Nov 5 2010, 11:38 PM) I'm actually sick of Labour. Ed Milband has ruined the soul of the party. You what? How so? Do you really think this is the soul of the party when it was an offence committed BEFORE Ed was in charge?


Santa Claus™ View member profile	Nov 6 2010, 10:21 AM Post #18
REBEL AGAINST TIRREN, HE NO SPEAK AMERICANO. Joined: 31 March 2010 Posts: 1,726 User: 10,896	I can't agree. I hope Phil Woolas does the right thing for Labour, and just leave. I think Ed Miliband is the one for Labour, exactly what they needed after NuLabor's experiment...