Lib Dem election leaflets reported to police accused of misleading public (From Sutton Guardian)

Lib Dem election leaflets reported to police accused of misleading public

11:40am Thursday 4th June 2009

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Police have been asked to investigate allegations that the two Sutton borough MPs deliberately misled voters in leaflets for the European elections.

Adrian Short, a local blogger, reported Tom Brake and Paul Burstow to the Special Crimes Unit after discussions with the Electoral Commission.

Mr Short was concerned that the Liberal Democrat literature appeared to encourage tactical voting todday, as in general elections.

But MEPs are elected under a proportional representation system, where a party wins seats according to its share of the vote in each region.

A Liberal Democrat London spokeswoman, speaking for the MPs, regretted the allegation and said the leaflets were approved as suitable election communications by the Royal Mail.

She added: “The election leaflets distributed locally make clear that a vote for the Liberal Democrats on June 4 is a vote for European countries to work together to tackle cross-border problems, such as international crime, climate change and the recession.”

Mr Short said: “Let me be very clear that I am not a lawyer and I am not saying that anyone has broken the law.

“However, in my reading of the law, I have formed a suspicion that the law has been broken and, as with all suspected crimes, I have reported it to the police.

“Regardless of the outcome of the legal process, I think it’s very important that people understand that, whichever party they vote for on June 4, their vote will be equally valuable and will help their preferred party to gain MEPs, entirely contrary to what the Lib Dems’ leaflets are saying.”

Bob Steel, the Sutton Green Party chairman, added: “The leaflets are deceitful and patronising.

"They will only further corrode trust in politicians, already at an all-time low.

“Lib Dems apparently have such a low view of their European performance that they devote 90 per cent of their leaflet to trying to dupe voters they are electing Tom Brake to deal with local issues like recycling.”

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