AIBU to think this is electoral fraud?

[CatPancake]

I’m outing myself here… but my local MP candidate has released new election graphics….

would you be shocked if I told you he’s not a member of the Labour Party!!!

Have a guess which Party he is campaigning on behalf of please 🙏🏻

Oh. Snap.

He apparently said on social media that many Labour voters have told him they will vote for him to keep him as their local MP, so he's launching a new group of supporters, Labour for Largan. Ditto Reform votes, hence Reform for Robert. Desperate stuff. I wonder if he will still be the Tory Party candidate come Friday, which I think is the deadline for registering as a candidate for the General Election.

He may not have committed an offence, but it's very underhand.

You're not dense!
The bloke is a chancer.
His materials will be investigated but I shouldn't think it'll have a huge impact, but it is deception.

If someone was being cynical, and if that someone believed a candidate had a low opinion of his electorate… it’s possible to think a candidate could try to encourage people to believe he is being endorsed by, or even represents, a different political party than his own.

especially when Largans party is so wildly unpopular

Yes, I did wonder if that's how he'd get round it.
It's certainly giving him publicity!

It is funny that so many Tories are desperately using their campaign materials to try to distance themselves from their own party.

A lot of Tories are putting the word “conservative” on their leaflet in very small letters. Even Sean Bailey when he stood to be London Mayor (before partying during lockdown and being rewarded with a seat in the Lords) did not readily identify himself as a conservative on his leaflets.

Good luck with the Party of Women!

It says can include, it’s not a full and comprehensive list.

but it could come under making false statements, influencing a vote etc.

can’t you see it’s deliberately misleading?

Eh?

It's not, @fruitgummy because he's not interfering in the process of an election.
It's deceptive though.

He is not breaking the law in that he includes the legal wording on the paper that says it’s printed by the Conservative Party. It’s just printed extremely small. It’s a great loophole to exploit and it’s certainly poor practice.

Indeed! 😂

I know! How embarrassing.

I don't subscribe to the view that all publicity is good publicity, but I suppose some people must. Nigel Frge seems to feel he's doing himself good by his endless TV and radio appearances. My blood pressure would disagree.

I think that’s unlikely as it will be obvious on the ballot paper that he is the Tory candidate not the Labour one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1eewd5xgjgo.amp

When I was in politics they always used to say that the most important thing was to get your name known to the electorate.
Farage just likes to self promote, I think.
I'm intrigued that he's not actually a candidate...

Yes, those are my thoughts.
However, as I said to @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - it gets his name known.

I seem to remember a few years ago a candidate standing for something called the Literal Democrat Party and getting lots of votes from people thinking ge was the Liberal Democrat candidate. I guess this is a similar scenario

I’m not. He never wins.

A lot of Tories are putting the word “conservative” on their leaflet in very small letters

Oh dear

Presumably leaving off the wall to wall blue tones too ... ?