Hampshire police launch investigation into Portsmouth's Labour Party

The probe comes after Labour posted a status on Twitter condemning Portsmouth City Council’s Liberal Democrat leader, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, over his handling of the St James’ Hospital bid.

Labour is accused of having used Cllr Vernon-Jackson’s real signature alongside a mock-up letter from the Lib Dem boss, which read: 'I, Gerald Vernon-Jackson and Portsmouth Lib Dems offer just £1 to buy St James and keep Milton Green.'

The original post has since been altered, with the signature now removed and replaced with a handwritten-style computer font. A note at the bottom of the picture has also been added, which said: ‘Mock up letter not actual.’

However, Cllr Vernon-Jackson has since reported the party to the police, claiming his signature was fraudulently used.

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed it was looking into the situation and whether any crime had actually been committed.

A spokesman told The News: ‘We can confirm that we received a complaint on Friday, January 28, related to the use of a signature on a political document.

'The evidence submitted is being reviewed by our investigations team to establish the nature of any potential criminal offences.’

Labour has yet to respond to repeated requests from The News for comment.

The fiasco was the latest chapter in the political row over the sale of the St James’ Hospital site in Milton.

Last month, Conservative group leader Councillor Simon Bosher criticised Cllr Vernon-Jackson for the 'sham' £1 offer, which he described as 'an electioneering stunt' and said demonstrated the council was not serious about the deal.

But his exclusion of any reference to a 50-50 profit share agreement, which was included as part of the bid, in a letter sent to people living in Milton has prompted the libel claim.

Solicitors representing Cllr Vernon-Jackson have threatened legal action against an opposition councillor for making 'blatantly untrue' claims about the 2018 hospital bid.

Speaking of the latest legal wrangling with Labour, Cllr Vernon-Jackson said: ‘I don’t object to political differences – that’s absolutely right. But I wonder what the Labour Party would have done if I forged a letter pretending it came from Stephen Morgan? I think they would have rightly been very, very upset and they would have been right to.’

He added: ‘(Labour leader) Sir Keir Starmer has been very clear that standards in public life are important and I agree with him which is why I have forwarded my letter to the general secretary of the Labour Party.

‘Standards in public life are important across the whole country. You can’t be upset with Boris Johnson for behaving badly then doing it yourself.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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