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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/nov/23/wonga-promotes-walthamstow-debt-event-apology-mp
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Wonga promotes Walthamstow debt event as apology to MP | Wonga promotes Walthamstow debt event as apology to MP |
| (4 months later) | |
| Wonga will promote a debt advice clinic being held by anti-payday loans campaigner and MP Stella Creasy as a goodwill gesture following attacks on the MP by a Wonga employee. | Wonga will promote a debt advice clinic being held by anti-payday loans campaigner and MP Stella Creasy as a goodwill gesture following attacks on the MP by a Wonga employee. |
| The Walthamstow Winter Family Finances Fair, to be held in Creasy's constituency on 24 November 2012, will offer information on affordable credit as well as debt advice. Wonga has faced mounting criticism for targeting low-income customers with short-term loans charging an annualised interest rate of 4,214%. | The Walthamstow Winter Family Finances Fair, to be held in Creasy's constituency on 24 November 2012, will offer information on affordable credit as well as debt advice. Wonga has faced mounting criticism for targeting low-income customers with short-term loans charging an annualised interest rate of 4,214%. |
| Creasy said: "I asked them to promote the event to local residents because I have seen the damage caused by the payday loans industry to people in my constituency. This is justice in action." | Creasy said: "I asked them to promote the event to local residents because I have seen the damage caused by the payday loans industry to people in my constituency. This is justice in action." |
| The online lender has paid for 2,000 flyers for the event to be printed and distributed by a third party on 23 November 2012, and has also taken out an advert promoting the event in the weekly Waltham Forest Independent freesheet paper. Neither have any mention of Wonga or feature its branding. | The online lender has paid for 2,000 flyers for the event to be printed and distributed by a third party on 23 November 2012, and has also taken out an advert promoting the event in the weekly Waltham Forest Independent freesheet paper. Neither have any mention of Wonga or feature its branding. |
| Organisations including Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service will be aiming to tackle debt and financial hardship at the event. | Organisations including Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service will be aiming to tackle debt and financial hardship at the event. |
| A Wonga spokeswoman said: "We are pleased to support Stella Creasy's finance fair this Saturday in Walthamstow, and wish her all the best with the event. This is a gesture of goodwill and we look forward to more open and positive engagement with her in the future." | A Wonga spokeswoman said: "We are pleased to support Stella Creasy's finance fair this Saturday in Walthamstow, and wish her all the best with the event. This is a gesture of goodwill and we look forward to more open and positive engagement with her in the future." |
| Wonga was forced to apologise to Creasy after a Guardian investigation uncovered evidence that an employee of the firm had been using an anonymous Twitter account to publicly attack her, calling her "mental", "nuts", and a "self-serving egomaniac" because of her stance against the controversial firm and the wider payday loans market. | Wonga was forced to apologise to Creasy after a Guardian investigation uncovered evidence that an employee of the firm had been using an anonymous Twitter account to publicly attack her, calling her "mental", "nuts", and a "self-serving egomaniac" because of her stance against the controversial firm and the wider payday loans market. |
| On 21 November Creasy said she was disappointed the firm had not accepted her invitation to place an advert in the Waltham Forest Guardian, but Wonga said it was unable to secure a slot in the paper because it had already gone to print, so it placed the advert in its sister publication the Independent. | On 21 November Creasy said she was disappointed the firm had not accepted her invitation to place an advert in the Waltham Forest Guardian, but Wonga said it was unable to secure a slot in the paper because it had already gone to print, so it placed the advert in its sister publication the Independent. |
| Creasy said: "This has clearly been identified as an anti-payday lending event, an anti-legal loanshark event. It's restorative justice." | Creasy said: "This has clearly been identified as an anti-payday lending event, an anti-legal loanshark event. It's restorative justice." |
| She added that she did not expect Wonga to turn up to the event in person: "They would get short shrift from the 20 organisations that are coming, not to mention many of the people who will be attending." | She added that she did not expect Wonga to turn up to the event in person: "They would get short shrift from the 20 organisations that are coming, not to mention many of the people who will be attending." |
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