Lib Dem leafleting row resurfaces
DERBYSHIRE police are willing to follow-up complaints they receive relating to canvassing by political parties during lockdown, such as leafleting or door-to-door campaigning.
The Government has written to all parliamentary parties saying campaigning during lockdown is not “essential or necessary”.
And it follows widespread complaints about possible breaches, including in Derby, as the city’s Lib Dem group was criticised by the Conservative group last November for delivering leaflets during the second lockdown. Lib Dem group leader Councillor Ruth Skelton defended the group’s action at the time pointing out volunteers were exempt from the requirement to stay at home.
The disagreement has resurfaced again during the third lockdown, with the Conservative group accusing the Lib Dems of leafleting in Mickleover since Christmas. This claim has been refuted by Ms Skelton.
The group claims it has copies of leaflets which went through doors and says it is “out-of-date and doesn’t even have any Covid-19 community support information on it at all”. It says the Lib Dems nationally have said “important community support information is being relayed by their councillors”.
A Derbyshire police spokesman said: “At this time everyone across the country is being challenged to do their part by limiting the amount of time they are in contact with others – and staying home as much as possible.
“As with any reported breach officers will follow up and speak to those involved in order to understand the individual circumstances that each report will have. As with every potential breach officers will look to engage, explain and encourage those involved.”
Writing to the national political parties last week, Chloe Smith, Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution, said: “Current national lockdown restrictions in England, say ‘you must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary.’
“The Government’s view is that these restrictions do not support door-to-door campaigning or leafleting by individual political party activists.
“It is widely accepted that voters can continue to get campaigning information remotely.”