PHIL WOOLAS FACES COURT CASE OVER ALLEGED ELECTION MISCONDUCT

Today in England for the first time in 99 years, a court will hear a case against a sitting MP’s right to be that sitting MP.

In a case alleging “corrupt practices” but this time based on the 1983 Representation of the Peoples Act, a Liberal Democrat will contest the election to the seat in Oldham East and Saddleworth of none of other than my dear friend, female underwear purchasing, and Joanna Lumley fearing, Phil Woolas. (He has an interesting life does our Phil!)

Elwyn Watkins will allege that Woolas’s campaign literature, contained, contrary to that Act, sections that were “false statements of fact in relation to the candidate's (his) personal character or conduct”.

Woolas’s election leaflets contained allegations that his opponent received foreign donations, that he had support from Muslim extremists and that he had engaged in vote-fixing. The Liberal Democrat said two publications contained many misleading and erroneous allegations about his personal character and reputation.

Given that Woolas’s majority was just over 100, Mr Watkins’ claims of character assassination may well have had a enough of an effect to change the result.

I don’t know what would happen if the judges (there are two) were to find in favour of Mr Watkins. A by-election would hardly be a reasonable course of action given that the government is now in place and Mr Watkins’ party is a part of the ruling coalition. It’s likely that, with no hope of influencing the make-up of the government, any re-run of the election in the constituency would be unable to recreate the conditions of the General Election.

It may be that the judges have the power to overturn the election result and appoint Mr Watkins to the seat.

I have no idea what Mr Watkins is like. I’m not fond of the government that his party forms part of, but Woolas is a grinning idiot, way too pleased with himself, to cocky and self assured by half and the leaflets are certainly inflamatory.

On reflection, based on the fact that the member for this constituency will make no difference to the overall make up of government, my dislike of campaign material that berates other candidates instead of laying out what THIS candidate stands for....and, I admit, my passionate dislike for Phil Woollas, I hope the judges find for Mr Watkins.

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