Support 100 years of independent journalism.

  1. Spotlight
  2. Elections
2 May 2018updated 24 Jun 2021 12:22pm

“The Tories are shi**ing on us“: seven of the most ridiculous local election leaflets

Oh, the joy of local elections!

By Dulcie Lee

One of the perennial surprises of local elections is the wide variety of allegedly unvetted campaign material that makes its way through people’s letterboxes. From the hilarious to the horrendous, to the downright bizarre, it’s a wonder that we make it to polling day at all. Here are some of the best:

1. In Batley East, a Labour election leaflet listed one of the Conservatives’ priorities as “shitting on us”. 

Select and enter your email address Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. The New Statesman’s global affairs newsletter, every Monday and Friday. The New Statesman’s weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises - in your inbox every Thursday. Your new guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture each weekend - from the New Statesman. A newsletter showcasing the finest writing from the ideas section, covering political ideas, philosophy, criticism and intellectual history - sent every Wednesday. Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates.
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.

Classic. 

2. Turns out Trafford Tories can’t spell Conservatives, missing the letter ‘v’ from their name.

Better not get them to write about Tory cuts.

3. Another boo-boo from the Tories, as they sent out a leaflet consisting of dummy text. In a display of brazen laziness or utter incompetence, the local party boasted that “We’re working hard for local people to make Ward/Area an even better place to live”. 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…

4. A textbook example of dog-whistle racism in this Havering leaflet, warning residents that a Labour win would result in “boroughs like Hackney, Newham, Camden and Barking, rather than traditional parts of Essex”. Local Tory MP Andrew Rosindell insisted the leaflet was actually about high-density housing.

That’s not the only high-density thing in Havering.

5. In Rochdale, one Ukip leaflet said that Labour councils had “looked the other way” while grooming gangs “rape our daughters”. The claims were furiously denied by Labour.

Elsewhere on the leaflet, the dubious claims continued: “Have a heart, vote Ukip.” 

6. A Tory candidate was suspended and an investigation launched after his leaflet for Dudley said: “What have Labour delivered to this ward: Hepatitis.”

Patrick Harley, Conservative leader of the council, said: “Until that investigation has concluded it would be wrong to add anything further.” For god’s sake man, don’t add more.

7. In what isn’t a leaflet, but is so great it had to be included, Enfield Conservatives have been accused of photoshopping former MP David Burrowes into a campaign photo. In what has been branded “doggate” by Labour, someone photoshopped the MP and his dog into a picture sent to the local paper.

Doggate could mean worse things I guess.