Conservatives accuse Labour of cyber-squatting
The Labour Party has been accused of “cyber-squatting” after they appear to have registered three websites in the name of Conservative leader Michael Howard.
The three websites – michaelhowardmp.org, michaelhowardmp.net and michaelhowardmp.org.uk – have been registered under the name of the “The Labour Party”.
Michaelhowardmp.org has been registered by Kate McCarthy, according to InterNIC, an internet register database.
Ms McCarthy gave her address as Labour’s headquarters in Westminster and has a New Labour email address. The Conservatives claim that she is Labour’s e-campaigns manager.
Mr Howard’s official website is michaelhowardmp.com.
Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield and spokesman for industry and technology, who discovered the sites. suggested the Labour’s purpose in registering the websites was to “misrepresent Mr Howard”.
“I do not believe the Labour Party have registered these websites in Mr Howard’s name in order to sell them back to him.That would be bad enough.
“I believe the plan was to launch a dirty tricks campaign. How desperate have they become.”
Branding the Government “cyber-hypocrites,” Mr Fabricant said “cyber-squatting” was in direct contravention to the government’s own policy.
There has been no official response to the allegations from the Labour Party.
