Despatch from Oldham East and Saddleworth
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This area is used to pretty rough elections. I was here 16 years ago for the 1995 Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election, when a Labour team of John Prescott, Peter Mandelson, Iain McCartney and Phil Woolas, ran a pretty nasty (and very expensive) campaign against the Liberal Democrat Chris Davies, whom they accused of being "soft on drugs".
At one point, as I plan to show on Newsnight tonight, I even accused Mandelson and Woolas of being misleading with their leaflets!
Woolas and the Lib Dems fought some pretty tough battles here in 2005 and, of course, 2010, which led to Woolas's disqualification as an MP, for telling lies about his Lib Dem opponent in his election leaflets.
The 2011 by-election, in contrast, has been a pretty tame affair. The parties fear being dragged into court. And race and the question of Islamic extremism have barely surfaced.
Nor has there even been a comment on Jack Straw's comments on Newsnight about some Pakistani young men seeing young white women as "easy meat".
However, the Lib Dems put out a pretty negative leaflet highlighting contradictions about what the Labour candidate Debbie Abrahams had said in the past.
In the old days the Lib Dems would have been equally negative about the Conservatives, and tactically they need to squeeze the Tories, who came third in May.
But under a coalition, it's not easy to put out leaflets saying horrible things about your government partners.
The Lib Dem, Elwyn Watkins, almost certainly won't win. But he won't be disgraced either, despite the Lib Dems' dreadful showing in national polls. Watkins has established himself as quite a character locally. He's well-known - referred to as "Elwyn" rather than "Watkins" - and he showed persistence and courage in pursuing Woolas through the courts at a time when his party gave him very little help.
The full list of candidates (in alphabetical order) is: Debbie Abrahams (Labour) Derek Adams (British National Party) Kashif Ali (Conservative) Peter Allen (Green Party) David Bishop (Bus-Pass Elvis Party) The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony Party) Loz Kaye (Pirate Party of the United Kingdom) Stephen Morris (English Democrats) Paul Nuttall MEP (UK Independence Party) Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats).
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 11th Jan 2011, runciter wrote:Why don't you tell us about your pal Phil Woolas' attempt to "make the white folks angry" by putting out those race hate leaflets in 2010?
Is it because he worked with you on Newsnight?
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Comment number 2.
At 11th Jan 2011, stevie wrote:Old and Sad...it is innit? Never mind once the lies are exposed and the charletans put out to grass we might see a return to the standards of decency and a higher moral tone, we do not need the apologists for the Banking industry robbers i.e. the Tory party, we do not need the LIBDEMS trying to justify horrendous attacks on our youth in education and a Labour party still haunted by certain members out to make a fast buck and finding themselves in nick......a plague on all of them, let's hope some lessons will have been learnt...
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Comment number 3.
At 11th Jan 2011, Doolf wrote:Wow steady on... Are you campaigning for the Lib Dems here ! Glad to hear you are on first name terms with Elwyn.
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Comment number 4.
At 11th Jan 2011, crossalways wrote:General impression from reading this article is that you are supporting the LibDems - shame.
The word that above all sums up the LibDems is 'opportunist'.
The good burghers of Oldham East and Saddleworth will be doing us all a favour if they turn out in droves and give the Coalition parties a good trouncing.
I will especially cheer if the LibDems come third or fourth. The farcical betrayal over tuition fees (the leadership a month or more BEFORE the election agreeing to drop the pledge if in a coalition) alongside their promise to bring integrity into politics makes them nothing short of a joke party - to be consigned to the dustbin of history.
And much else, but I'll stop there.
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Comment number 5.
At 11th Jan 2011, Chizzle wrote:It will be interesting to see if Lib Dems have broken election rules with their announcement of £100m investment in empty homes, conveniently timed for this weekend's campaigning in Oldham.
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Comment number 6.
At 11th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:I AM BAFFLED - SURELY THIS ELECTION FLYER IS A 'LIAR FLYER'?
Why can I get no attention from media? It was distributed in a minimum of 16 constituencies.
Has Bloodhound Crick got no nose?
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Comment number 7.
At 11th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT (#6 additional)
Don't be fooled by crafted media presentation that suggests you only break the law by PERSONAL ATTACK on your opponent. That is SECTION 106 of the act.
BUT
SECTION 115 says it is unlawful to apply UNDUE INFLUENCE using 'any fraudulent device or contrivance (that) induces or prevails upon an elector either to vote or to refrain from voting'.
The flyer (#6 link) asserts, unequivocally: "THE CONSERVATIVES MUST WIN HERE TO STOP 5 MORE YEARS OF GORDON BROWN".
How say you My Crick?
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Comment number 8.
At 11th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:BRIBERY IS ALSO COVERED IN THE ACT (#5)
But not PARTY bribery, nor indeed GOVERNMENT bribery. Only commoner or gardener bribery is encompassed. That is the Westminster way.
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Comment number 9.
At 11th Jan 2011, Chizzle wrote:barriesingleton,
It is against election rules for an incumbent Government to use the fact that it is in power to influence voting - the announcement about empty housing from Andrew Stunell, the housing minister (Lib Dem) was timed deliberately to coincide with the by-election. There was nothing to stop this announcement being held back until the result of the by-election is known.
I will be very surprised if Sir Gus O'Donnell doesn't take some kind of action about it.
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Comment number 10.
At 11th Jan 2011, sevenstargreen wrote:Lets all hope for a resounding win for The Flying Brick (Monster Raving
Loony Party).It will give us all a good laugh and the media will have a
collective fit!
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Comment number 11.
At 11th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:ROGER THAT CHIZZLE (#9)
Thanks for the info. I have to say I never find O'Donnell particularly dynamic.
With my take on the Westminster Malaise, I shall be astonished if a PARTY is brought to book. As I have posted before: a party has no heart or soul - this is where a lot of scurrilous 'loyal' behaviour arises. The faithful are only obeying (implicit) orders.
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Comment number 12.
At 12th Jan 2011, worcesterjim wrote:How much longer can the media breathe life into the dying man that is British politics?
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Comment number 13.
At 12th Jan 2011, stevie wrote:he may be a dying man but he is one hell of a 'death throw'
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Comment number 14.
At 12th Jan 2011, worcesterjim wrote:13 stevie...one senses that you might have an undisclosed investment in contributing to the embalming process ....but from my jaundiced viewpoint it seems that we are so stuffed that it`s too late for resuscitation and a tad tooearly to call in the taxidermist!
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