Lib Dems indulge in 'a dreadful piece of spin'

Councillor Robin Parker

West Middleton Labour Councillor Robin Parker has hit out at what he calls “a dreadful piece of spin” by Middleton Liberal Democrats in their latest Liberal Democrat Focus Newsheet delivered in the North Middleton area.

Councillor Parker explains that the Lib Dems are attempting to seriously mislead by showing a graph of previous results with a heading: ‘only 71 votes needed’.

Disbelieving what he was reading Councillor Parker looked at the small print at the bottom -   ‘2005 result’!

In the subsequent years Labour stretched the gap, in 2006 to 247 over the Lib Dems and in 2007 to a massive 602 over the Lib Dems who in the May election this year dropped to third place below the Conservatives in the ward – hardly the impression given by the graph in the Focus newsletter.

Councillor Parker was scathing in his criticism saying: “There is only one Liberal Democrat councillor in Middleton, who is never seen at Township meetings or sub committees.

“Maybe we should steal Liberal Democrat phraseology and say, ‘It’s a two horse race, Liberal Democrats cannot win here’

“It looks as though they will have to learn that the con tricks of opposition which they practiced for years don’t wash now they are in control and having to put our money where their mouth is.”

Local Lib Dem agent, David Hennigan, who authored the leaflet, has, in what is a genuine rarity in politics, magnanimously held his hands up and said: "I was wrong and will point that out on the next leaflet. It was my fault, it was a mistake though, not spin."