Reid: Sack Tory Dorset South candidate
Labour’s Health Secretary John Reid has upped the pressure on Conservative candidate Ed Matts, who doctored a photograph of himself to highlight his party’s tough stance on immigration.
Dr Reid delivered a letter to the Conservative constituency association in Dorset South calling for Mr Matts to be sacked. He has already written to Conservative leader Michael Howard to demand his sacking.
Mr Matts altered a photograph of himself, standing alongside Ann Widdecombe, at a demonstration against the deportation of an asylum-seeker family for his campaign literature.
He replaced the messages on the placards being held by himself and Ms Widdecombe at the protest from a picture of the family and the words “let them stay”, to “controlled immigration” and “not chaos and inhumanity”.
Mr Matts has apologised for altering the photograph, saying in a statement: “I apologise for making a foolish mistake – I had no intention of causing any embarrassment.
“However, being involved in an individual asylum case is not inconsistent with the Conservative view that Britain’s asylum system is in urgent need of attention.”
Dorset South is Labour’s most marginal constituency. The sitting MP Jim Knight, who is Dr Reid’s parliamentary private secretary, won there in 2001 by just 153 votes.
Today, Dr Reid urged Mr Howard to apply the same standards to Mr Matts that he had to Howard Flight.
He wrote: “When you sacked Howard Flight on March 25 you said: ‘If you believe in honesty you have to act on it. That’s why I’ve done what I’ve done today.’
“Will you please now apply the same standard to your candidate in Dorset South Mr Matts?
“To pose in one picture in support of an asylum seeker, and then doctor the same picture for a political stunt is sick. If you fail to act then you will have sent out the message your candidates can do anything they like to fuel a wholly negative campaign.”
Conservative Party co-chairman Dr Liam Fox replied to Dr Reid’s letter: “What Ed Matts did in terms of the photograph (which he says he regrets and for which he has apologised) in no way detracts from the central point: it is quite possible to be concerned about the treatment of an individual in the prevailing immigration system and at the same time to believe the system is chaotic, unfair and needs urgent reform.”
He added: “It is appropriate that Ed Matts should apologise. It would be far more appropriate if you were to apologise for the policies for which you are responsible which have led to thousands of people acquiring and dying from hospital acquired infections. Why do Labour ministers never apologise for anything?”
Lib Dem deputy leader Menzies Campbell also called for Mr Matts to be sacked. He said: “Howard Flight was sacked by the Conservatives for telling the truth. Ed Matts, the Conservative candidate in Dorset South, should be sacked for telling lies.”
