Oldham East and Saddleworth: Lib Dems attack ‘lying’ Labour
A Liberal Democrat by-election leaflet questioning Labour candidate Debbie Abrahams’ truthfulness has raised the temperature in Oldham East and Saddleworth.
With the by-election set for Thursday the Lib Dem campaign, behind in the polls, issued a leaflet highlighting Ms Abrahams’ statements about where she lived.
It pointed out during last year’s general election campaign, where she ran unsuccessfully for Labour in the neighbouring Colne Valley seat, she had claimed she lived in Longwood, 15 miles away.
Her by-election leaflets now claim she lived in Newhey “for nearly 25 years”.
The Lib Dem leaflet asked: “Tell it to us straight! It’s a question of trust.” It placed Ms Abrahams’ comments with a column headed “lies and failure” about former MP Phil Woolas’ election court defeat in the constituency.
“Disgraced Labour MP Phil Woolas was thrown out of parliament for lying to us,” the leaflet adds.
“Now, just a few weeks later, local people are wondering why Labour are at it again.”
The Liberal Democrats are hoping to avoid an embarrassing margin of defeat in Oldham East and Saddleworth.
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg’s visits to the seat have only served to reinforce the impression the final result will be an early electoral verdict on his decision to enter into a formal coalition government with the Conservative party.
