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Original poster

Lib Dems - is this even legal?

83 replies

WowLibDemLies · 10/12/2019 22:58

Got this propaganda through the door today. Looks like it's from labour, has Alastair Campbell's name attached.

Yet only after reading it several times and discussing with my DH did I realise it was Lib Dem propoganda.

How can this be within the rules?

I am shocked the lib Dems are allowed to do this? It looks like a legit labour plea. It's not.

This is really Bellow the belt lib Dems.

Can the papers pick up on this please and do something? This should not be allowed, surely?

Lib Dems - is this even legal?
OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 10/12/2019 23:19

It's perfectly clear what it's about if you read it. If your understanding tells on colour coding, maybe you shouldn't bother.Hmm

Thethiniceofanewday · 10/12/2019 23:19

I’ve been lucky enough to get a letter from Boris Johnson Envy. That hasn’t got a blue stripe on it. Should I call the police?

Llareggub · 10/12/2019 23:20

My brain is trained to go straight for the small print at the bottom, where it will state what party it is from and who the agent is, so no, I would realise straightaway. I hope it does work in the marginal seats.

Original poster
WowLibDemLies · 10/12/2019 23:20

It's not just the colour! It's signed 'Alastair Campbell, Lifelong labour supporter and campaigner' - well he may have been,bit he's a lib Dems now, so it's very misleading as it's made to look like it's from labour, when in fact it's from the lib Dems!

OP posts:
JaniceBattersby · 10/12/2019 23:20

Well it’s legal. It’s definitely designed to deceive. However, so are most of the leaflets I’ve had through my letterbox including the disgraceful propaganda sheets from the Lib Dems masquerading as the local paper. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, but they’re not. Jo Swindon has said she thinks it’s fine. Another reason why she ain’t getting my vote.

ErrolTheDragon · 10/12/2019 23:20

No idea why autocorrect turned 'relies' into 'tells' there.Confused

BudgieHammockBananaSmuggler · 10/12/2019 23:21

There is no labour branding whatsoever and given the contents I assumed Lib Dems. Or it could have been some tactical voting group. I have seen very similar from the other parties, and actually some Lib Dem leaflets that have been more misleading! Post truth politics innit. Not really a fan Sad

ParanoidGynodroid · 10/12/2019 23:23

It’s perfectly clear if you read it. It’s intended to make labour voters in your constituency consider voting LibDem as a tactical vote. It says Alistair Campbell at the top, not Labour.
And AC is not ‘a libdem now’ he says quite clearly that he’s going to vote labour. Did you actually read it?

I really don’t understand the problem.

Petrichor11 · 10/12/2019 23:24

It’s clearly a Lib Dem mailer trying to convince labour voters to vote for them in a tactical voting situation. Compared to most of the blatant lies being thrown around this election it’s incredibly mild!

I suggest you improve your reading comprehension skills if this has confused you so much

Reallybadidea · 10/12/2019 23:25

It is absolutely crystal clear that its from the Lib Dems. Honestly, I'm astounded that you've drawn the conclusion that you did.

Butterisbest · 10/12/2019 23:28

According to the other thread it's only the evil Tories that lie

Thethiniceofanewday · 10/12/2019 23:34

I’ll post the same here as I did there then. Today the FB fact-check service announced that they’d reviewed all the political ads from this campaign. 88 per cent of the Tory ads had lies. Zero per cent of the Labour ads had lies. So yes, it is the Tories doing the bulk of the lying.

RedToothBrush · 10/12/2019 23:34

Yes its legal.

You might have noticed that the Conservative Party have been using a lot of red in the headlines of their election marketing too

(yes go and have a look and see if you've even noticed. It is a psychological trick and its being used by more than one party).

As long as the imprint is on the leaflet its legal. No party 'owns' a colour.

CeCeLaine66 · 10/12/2019 23:35

It’s perfectly clear that it’s not from labour, don’t think it’s deceiving at all. Not really seeing a problem.

Thethiniceofanewday · 10/12/2019 23:38

He wrote two letters, one for Labour voters in Lib Dem/Tory marginals and one for Lib Dems in Labour/Tory marginals. It really isn’t very much of a scandal.

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/alastair-campbell-open-letter-to-labour-and-lib-dem-voters-1-6405965

Creepster · 10/12/2019 23:41

"Better to beg forgiveness (and pay the fine) than ask permission" appears to be the theme of this election.

doritosdip · 10/12/2019 23:44

It's not deceiving at all unless you are Alastair Campbell and didn't approve of the photo and text.

Why would Labour pay for a vote Lib Dem message?

My local Tory MP's leaflet has him sat with greenery in the background. The parties aren't limited to the logo colours.

You could possibly make a weak case against tactical voting but all parties will almost certainly be doing it. (I bet Farage would support a Tory in consistencies with no Brexit party candidate)

It would be misleading if AC was pictured with Lib Dem colours and logos because he hasn't switched parties and the "life long Labour " bit is a reminder of that.

unfortunateevents · 10/12/2019 23:52

Failing to see the problem here, either you don't read the leaflet in which case you might think it is from Labour (and NOT reading a piece of election literature is hardly likely to make you either vote or not vote for a political party) or you DO read it in which case you will understand that Alastair Campbell is asking you to vote tactically in your constituency for Lib Dems. I absolutely fail to see how it tok you several readings to understand that it came from the Lib Dems - surely just reading the bold headings would have given you that information?

theghostofjohnsmith · 10/12/2019 23:52

This isn't "propaganda", nor is it misleading. It states very clearly what it is trying to get across to the reader.
Whether you agree with tactical voting or not is a personal choice, but it's clear that this is what the letter is about.
I'm really struggling to understand how you missed that, OP?

doritosdip · 10/12/2019 23:53

There's no Labour Party logo.

I received a Tory flyer with red background to the headline. (It's bin day so I don't have it any more)

I suspect it's to catch the eye of Labour supporters but there's no logos of the other party and it clearly said it was from the Tory Party at the bottom.

Spamantha · 11/12/2019 00:00

Alastair Campbell hasn't joined the Lib Dems, btw, but he was expelled from Labour after voting Lib Dem in the European elections. I think he's still generally a Labour supporter.

BingoLittlesUncle · 11/12/2019 00:00

You read election leaflets! Shock Well, I suppose someone must do.

wafflyversatile · 11/12/2019 00:02

They've been lying on loads of local leaflets to suggest they are the only party who can get enough votes to get tories out.

Equanimitas · 11/12/2019 00:20

Yes! Surely it can't be legal to pass your propaganda off as someone else's?

But they haven't. It's perfectly clear that it comes from the Lib Dems.

Breathlessness · 11/12/2019 00:21

Face. Palm.

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