Another Little Mistake On A Website

It's a shame I will be busy pretending to seriously contest Springfield Ward on 20 December, otherwise I'd be on the train to Benfleet. That's because on the same day Labour has a chance of a thumping by-election victory on the 41-member Castle Point District Council, which currently comprises 25 Conservatives, 16 Canvey Island Independent Group members and... well, a great opportunity for Labour to increase its presence. Castle Point was where I was parliamentary candidate in 2005, turning a 985 vote Tory majority in the previous General Election into an 8,201 Tory majority when I stood.

Two Tory councillors have quit over allegations of benefit fraud.

They represented St Mary's, which is the best ward for Labour on the "Mainland" i.e. the non-Canvey Island part of Castle Point. Labour is running two excellent candidates - Brian Wilson who was my Agent in 2005, and Co-op stalwart Tony Wright - with 22 years' experience between them as councillors for that ward. As the Castle Point CLP website points out, unlike the Tories they actually held advice surgeries and made themselves available to local residents.

And also, as can be seen from the Castle Point CLP website, they omitted to apply an imprint to their online election leaflet, as required under Section 66 of The Electoral Administration Act, 2006, thus rendering them liable to criminal prosecution and their election candidature liable to challenge in the courts. Oh well... it wasn't deliberate. It was just an unfortunate clerical omission due to the intense pressure suffered by impoverished local Party volunteers. The web page was published in good faith and nobody will resign as a consequence. Rather, lessons have been learned moving forward and the Party will make every effort to ensure that this unfortunate error does not occur again.

Let's just hope we can sort this mess out before one of those anarchists like Guido Fawkes or Tories like Iain Dale gets hold of it.