Regular readers of my blog will know that my previous posts have highlighted the less-than-honest tactics of the Islington Labour party in the current fight in Islington, particularly in the south which is a highly marginal seat. Just take a look HERE and HERE.
So no surprise to learn that they’ve been up to their usual shabby practices when it comes to election posters.
It appears that Islington Labour have been going around the borough erecting election posters at addresses they think are of supporters and party members. Nothing odd there, you may think – and yes, the LibDems have been doing it too.
The only thing is – and this is where we differ – it seems that Labour forgot to actually ASK the people who live in the house first!
The tweet shown here is genuine and completely unsolicited. The photo shows a Labour poster in the Twitterer’s garden. This person gave no one – especially not Labour – permission to erect anything on their property whatsoever.
No surprise then that this (now) LibDem voter was ever so slightly miffed to come home and find it in their front yard!
It seems that Labour’s strategy has been to put a poster up at any address that has had a Labour party member recently on the electoral roll WITHOUT asking permission first.
I can think of no greater way to annoy your loyal supporters than to do something like this. It reeks of heavy-handedness and desperation – but isn’t that Labour all over? Not only that, but by not bothering to check with the occupiers first (to ensure they haven’t just moved in, for example) they just generate negative publicity when people complain. Hey, if they want the bad publicity, I’m more than happy to give it to them (thanks to Twitter, or course!).
I’ve also heard reports that Labour have put up poster boards on vacant properties in the borough. That’s just shabby and opportunistic, but frankly, if the description fits, Islington Labour can wear it.
By the way – if you have been the victim of Islington Labour’s unsolicited poster campaign, DO please let us know! Just leave a comment below (and mark it as “private” if you don’t want it published).
Be assured, the experience of Gregory Wells was a rare mistake. Poster boards only went-up outside homes of Labour Party members. Somebody just got Gregory’s address in error.
Perhaps…but interesting how you say they “only went-up outside homes of Labour Party members.”
According to my source, these members were not even asked…I note that you don’t confirm or deny the allegation that you ASKED for permission BEFORE doing it!
I’m happy to correct the blog post where it says “Labour did not ask for permission first”.
My information is that what they actually did was write to all their members TELLING them that a stakeboard was going to be put up outside their house, and to contact Labour HQ if they didn’t want it. A kind of Stalinist, authoritarian “opt-out but don’t do it if you really support the party” sort of thing. So if you had moved, or you were away, or didn’t get the letter or simply forgot to reply, like it or not, you got a board. So, I suppose that qualifies as “permission” in Labour’s contorted world view. Not many others would agree.
What I CAN say for certain is that the LibDems have a signed consent form, or direct telephone or email authorisation from the occupier, for every single board we put up. In fact, we are getting more and more unsolicited requests now than ever before, and Labour’s boards seem to be disappearing. Funny, that. People like to side with winners after all.