As the SKWAWKBOX revealed on Friday night, Theresa May appears to have broken electoral law during her question and answer session with a BBC Question Time audience.
In front of a television audience of millions, May alleged that Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott had advocated the removal of the DNA samples of ‘criminals and terrorists’ from police databases.
Abbott has, of course, done nothing of the sort. She has advocated the removal of the DNA of innocent people, because it infringes on our civil liberties, disproportionately affects ethnic minorities and includes the DNA of, for example, victims of crimes such as rape.
The Representation of the People Act 1983 states that making a false statement about the character or conduct of a candidate is an illegal practice:
May certainly cannot claim belief and reasonable grounds for belief that her false statement about Diane Abbott was true.
Now Wirral in it Together blogger Paul Cardin, having read the SKWAWKBOX’s article, has made a formal complaint to the police about Mrs May’s statement and has written an excellent piece that May is not above the law.
We must hope that the police act accordingly. The political life of this country and the trust of the people in our democratic process require that the kind of wanton dishonesty that has become routine practice for some political parties is dealt with severely enough to end it.
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Reblogged this on nearlydead and commented:
Tory bastards
“SHOULDA PUT MI TALKING HEAD ON, OH SILLY ME”!
“I’ll get away with it no problem, one rule for me, you others can go to hell”!
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Reblogged this on The Night Owl and commented:
Will the lies from the Tory party ever end?
These Tories are getting more desperate by the day, and I believe they are particularly dangerous at this time. Tony Ben was frightened that Thatcher would end our democracy, apart from the dismantling of the state she could go further.
Although not a correct thing to do, I’m not sure she has made a false statement about the ‘character or conduct’ of Diane Abbott. What she may have done is defamed Ms Abbott, which would be pursued in the civil courts.
But it all looks rather wooly when you try and decipher the law:
“The central focus of the original legislation was to prevent candidates impugning the personal character of their opponents. This may relate, for example, to his “family, religion, sexual conduct, business or finances” (para 112).” – Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2010/dec/03/woolas-analysis-election-court-judgment
Saying that someone wants to facilitate crime and terror attacks is a false statement about her conduct AND character. And, of course, it’s defamatory as well. But defamation is merely civil in nature. Breaking the RPA1983 is a criminal matter.
Part of the last complaint that led to an MP ‘copping it’ for lying about another candidate (phil woolas – lab) said the lib dem candidate had: “Wooed islamic extremists” IIRC*.
Not much difference, is there?
Or is this to be ANOTHER case of a tory getting away with what a labour MP has been done for?
*Also – IIRC -the other part was about not living in the constituency (What’s happening with nuttall, by the way? Ain’t heard much since stoke by-election)
Someone needs to report her lies about Corbyn this morning. She said he didn’t support the shoot to kill policy, when in fact he said he supported any action necessary to prevent innocent people getting hurt. She also said he ‘covered for the IRA’!! According to the Electoral Commission, the correct procedure is to infirm the police. I can’t though as we no longer have a police station in my city!
Paul Cardin of Wirral in it together, fancy doing another one? See above post.
Theresa May also said that Diane Abbott cannot add up. That is also an illegal statement. Diane Abbott may not be able to remember a number but she can add up.
false statement about the character or conduct of a candidate is an illegal practice #fail
@tiggysagar The Electoral Commission advise calling 101 (not 999 which is for emergencies)
Louise in response to you saying you would beleive Teresa May before Dianne abbot regarding what she said that people who were proven innocence,should have their DNA removed from police databases.you can verify what Dianne said if you read Hansard,the official recorded minutes of debates in Parliament.you will find she never said what Teresa May STATED