General election leaflets: have you spotted any wild or misleading claims?
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Version 0 of 1. Election leaflets are starting to arrive through letterboxes across Britain. Some contain proud records of achievement by incumbent parliamentarians, or list the key pledges by hopeful up-and-coming candidates. Others are replete with exaggerated promises, fear-mongering warnings about voting for the other lot, and pie and bar charts of dubious validity. We want you to send us the leaflets arriving where you are. Obviously we won’t discourage you sending those in the former category, but the latter may be politically interesting, particularly given the revelation that the Conservatives have been sending out templates of letters for local party political candidates to use in their campaigning. Whether it’s a leaflet making unlikely or misleading claims, or perhaps a local candidate who is less than keen to divulge which party he is representing, we want to see the best (and worst) of the political leaflets arriving on your doorstep. We shall include the most eyebrow-raising in our future coverage. Here are some highlights from those we have already received. Only the Conservatives or the Lib Dems can stop Labour Live in Birmingham’s Hall Green constituency? You may be interested to hear that only one party can stop Labour ‘s Roger Godsiff being returned to parliament as MP. It’s just unclear which party that might be. Splitting the vote 'Only the Conservatives can stop Labour', screams the leaflet received from the Tory candidate for Hall Green, citing a national YouGov poll and imploring constituents to vote Conservative. 'Only the Lib Dems can beat Labour in the Hall Green constituency', cries the leaflet received on the same day from the Liberal Democrat candidate, citing the result of the constituency's vote in the 2010 election. Perhaps they should go into coalition? Sent via Guardian Witness By Petelemania 7 April 2015, 22:34 Really helpful graph This vague electoral pronouncement (‘many?’) highlighted by a meaningless barchart, this leaflet on behalf of Ed Davey’s campaign in Kingston and Surbiton is a classic of the genre. A really helpful graph on a Liberal Democrat leaflet This leaflet was sent out by the Liberal Democrat central Party to the Kingston and Surbiton constituency in March 2015. Sent via Guardian Witness By ID651971 30 March 2015, 11:39 Free local ‘newspapers’ It’s always nice to receive a free local newspaper. You can find out all about new local businesses, and read letters moaning about the hospital parking scheme. Oh. Simon Wright "Norwich South News" Is this a newspaper that just came through my door, or laughable Lib-Dem propaganda?! It's so hard to tell. Sent via Guardian Witness By samjordison 31 March 2015, 11:40 |