Election candidate ‘hurt’ by fake claims
FACEBOOK ACCOUNT CLAIMED CAMPAIGNER KEPT MONEY RAISED IN MEMORY OF A FRIEND
A KIRKLEES council candidate says fake claims she has pocketed charity money raised in memory of a friend who ended his life have been circulated on social media.
Tanisha Bramwell, who is standing in Dewsbury for the Heavy Woollen District Independents in May’s election, says a fake profile was set up on social media in her name.
She says the unknown person who set it up claimed she had taken a cut of cash she helped raise in memory of her childhood friend Luke Manton last year.
Tanisha set up a crowd-funder to cover Luke’s funeral costs - but after she announced her candidacy for Dewsbury West a Facebook account appeared claiming she was paying people for votes and that she had taken money from the fundraiser.
She said: “Our community came together and raised money for the family. Whoever set up the page tried to make out that I had taken a huge cut of the money.
“What hurt me the most was that they would stoop so low.”
The fake page was taken down very quickly and Miss Bramwell has reported it to the police.
“Although I genuinely have no evidence, I have my suspicions as to who did it. If I find out who it was, I will have them done for defamation of character.”
Tanisha has not let the experience put her off her campaign, saying: “I’m a local lass, born and bred in Dewsbury Moor, and I want to bring positive change.”
Tanisha joined the Heavy Woollen District Independents in Dewsbury after becoming disillusioned with the state of local politics.
Just 25, she’s stepped up as an independent candidate with a pledge to build community relations through what she describes as “a strategic cohesive approach”.
“I want to get our community talking. I want to work with the police, the local authority, mosques and churches. That’s my vision.
“I want to change the lives of our local people by supporting them.”
She will stand against Labour’s Mussarat Pervaiz in the local elections on May 7. Clr Pervaiz polled 3,146 votes in 2016 – 2,154 more than her nearest opponent.
A committed Labour supporter, Miss Bramwell said she tried and failed to be selected as a local candidate despite volunteering for three years and undergoing training.
Disenchantment prompted her to consider standing as an independent candidate. She has now joined the ranks of Dewsbury Borough Independents, the party that succeeded in securing a win for Aleks Lukic last year.
Clr Lukic now sits as on Kirklees Council as a member for Dewsbury East.
Miss Bramwell said: “I have always supported Labour. As a national party, it’s great. But locally politics needs shaking up and challenging.
“I have been going door-to-door and the reaction has been fantastic. Everyone has been really great.
“Our young people need a voice especially the ones who are vulnerable or with families who are struggling. That means working with everybody.”
Miss Bramwell said she will be hosting pop-up sessions in Dewsbury Moor, Ravensthorpe, Westtown and the Pilgrim/Beckett areas of Dewsbury to encourage people to register to vote.
“I want to motivate people. I won’t be putting pressure on them to vote for me but to get them registered so they can have their say on polling day. My priority is to get people to speak to me.”