Apology over 'desperate lie' in Portsmouth election leaflet

The Lib Dems reported the party to Hampshire police over the leaflet that accused them of superimposing their Eastney & Craneswater candidate, Peter Candlish, onto a picture of Canoe Lake with the caption ‘fake photos and false promises’.

‘The Lib Dem-run council is keeping us all in the dark,’ the leaflet issued on behalf of the Conservative candidate for the ward, Stephen Gorys, said.

‘Look closely and you’ll see the Lib Dem candidate superimposed on the photo at Canoe Lake. Does he even know where it is?’

The Lib Dems wrote to the Conservatives last week requesting its distribution be stopped and later reported the matter to Hampshire police.

And Alicia Denny, the campaign manager for the Portsmouth South Conservative Association, and the party’s candidate in Central Southsea, has now apologised.

She said: ‘As election agent for Portsmouth South Conservative candidates in the city council election on May 4, I wish to apologise to the Liberal Democrat candidate in the ward for any unintended confusion caused by the latest election leaflet published by myself, on behalf of Eastney and Craneswater candidate Stephen Gorys.

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‘The humorous photo caption, which continued in the same vein as those published by the Liberal Democrats on their leaflet about our candidate, was perhaps also capable of misinterpretation – and, as such, in order to reduce the likelihood of any further ill feeling, I have taken the decision to accede to their request and cease delivering that particular leaflet.’

Mr Candlish, said the original accusation had shown the Conservatives had ‘resorted to desperate tactics’ to try and hold onto the seat being vacated by long-serving councillor Linda Symes after 17 years.

‘The fact they were choosing to resort to such dirty tactics shows how worried they are about losing their last stronghold in the south of Portsmouth,’ he said. ‘It’s very desperate.

‘This apology is very late in the day and the damage is unfortunately already done,’ he said. ‘Initially I was very angry that this had been given any sort of weight but the fact it has shows they are not comfortable in engaging in debate on local issues.’

The candidates in the Eastney & Craneswater ward for Thursday’s election are:

• Peter Candlish (Lib Dem)
• Jenny Dobson (Portsmouth Independents’ Party)
• Stephen Gorys (Conservatives)
• Tamara Groen (Green)
• Jane Shepherd (Labour)
• Mark Zimmer (Reform UK)

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