clawsfour

Another cheap stunt by the Tories

David Davis MP has announced he will stand down from his parliamentary seat in Haltemprice and Howden and fight a by-election over the decision to introduce 42 day detention without charge. The Liberals have already announced that they will not stand a candidate in the hope of joining in an embarrassment of the government.

This is the cheapest of party politics when they should be dealing, as Gordon Brown is, with the serious issues of national security. Labour should boycott this cheap stunt and expose the Tories for what they are - the worst sort of political opportunist who cannot be trusted with our security or or government.

This is a disgraceful move by Cameron.

Luke Akehurst is slightly more generous to the Tories by ascribing this move entirely to the "pompous ass " Davis. Entirely possible, but so is the possibility that this is Cameron attempting a knockout blow on Brown (even though Cameron's star is rising under Brown).

Paid election adverts on TV are illegal. Someone should tell the Lib Dems.

THE broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has launched an investigation into claims that a Lib Dem election candidate for the London Assembly has broken election law by just utterly ignoring the relevant act.

Political adverts featuring a City & East constituency candidate, are alleged to have been paid for out of campaigning funds. It would, if true, be a major breach of the Communication Act, which bans all political advertising.

The commercials were said to have been aired on several Bangladeshi satellite TV channels on Monday night (April 21).

These channels are watched by tens of thousands of people of Bangladeshi origin across London and particularly in the City and East constituency, which includes Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking.

Local people have complained to Ofcom about the advert, which, I am told (although I haven't seen it, so usual health warning) also contains a vote Paddick for Mayor message.

Political advertising is prohibited under the 2003 Communications Act as well as the TV Advertising Standards Code.

The East London Advertiser reports that an Ofcom spokesman has confirmed:

"Ofcom is urgently investigating a complaint which claims that a political advertisement has been transmitted on Channel S, Channel S NTV and ATN."

A Lib Dem spokesman said today:

"We are looking into the situation to find out what has happened."

And it won't just be the Liberal Democrats who are in the mire over this one. The TV channels themselves could be faced with a hefty fine as well. Last year The Islam Channel was handed a £30,000 fine for breaching the code of conduct relating to elections.

This case doesn't appear to be so much a breach as a complete demolition.

Oops

Video killed the radio star

Or in Portsmouth, radio killed the election star.

Station Director of Express FM, Cheryl Buggy, is also the Lib Dem (those paragons of virtue) candidate. Someone has been pump priming a political story in the ward she is contesting and then trying to get the radio station to report it. I'm sure that no station director worth her salt would would consider such a thing, given she is the candidate (did I mention that before) but I'm sharpening my claws just in case.

As she says herself:

"Express FM is a groundbraking (sic) station, and I enjoy every bit of my involvement..."

So listen out for groundbreaking stories about disused driving test centres and campaigns to convert them to day centres.

The Islam Channel was fined £30,000 last year for a breach of OfCom's code of conduct in relation to elections. 

The title of this post was, of course, inspired by the fact that the band responsible for 'video killed the radio star' were...

...no prizes - The Buggles. No relation to Ms Buggy, I suppose.

Obviously, I wish to maintain complete impartiality by naming all the candidates for the ward in question.

BUGGY, CHERYL - LIBERAL DEMOCRAT
OLDFIELD, GERRY - THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY CANDIDATE
WADE, GEOFF - THE LABOUR AND CO-OPERATIVE PARTY CANDIDATE

C'mon you reds!!