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”.
https://t.co/MPDjJdCPHR yet this one continues to run…
— Josie Pugsley (@JosiePugsley) May 2, 2018
Related
Classic.
2. Turns out Trafford Tories can’t spell Conservatives, missing the letter ‘v’ from their name.
Where to start…
Trafford Conservatives can’t spell ‘Conservatives’ on their own literature… Perhaps explaining their mismanagement of the borough.
Top work#Trafford #Altrincham pic.twitter.com/Ka0VzcZWX9
— Stephane Savary (@stephane_ulrich) April 7, 2018
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”.
Nice leaflet from the Ilford Conservative Party. #MailMergeFail pic.twitter.com/gcU6JZMgi7
— Phil Stanier (@PhilStanier) May 1, 2018
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.
This Conservative leaflet from Havering is properly grim stuff pic.twitter.com/3FUCBOw1oX
— Michael (@michaeljbawden) March 20, 2018
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.
Labour outraged as Ukip accuses party of ignoring child sex abuse across the country https://t.co/EwhJNPx7TO pic.twitter.com/QvBqCgDh7x
— The Independent (@Independent) May 1, 2018
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.”
A Conservative candidate for the local elections in Dudley has been suspended after a leaflet was circulated claiming Labour had spread hepatitis in the local ward. pic.twitter.com/YZr0VrP9v3
— BBC Midlands Today (@bbcmtd) May 1, 2018
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.
A local Conservative group has come under fire for apparently PhotoShopping an MP and his “floating” dog into a campaign photo. Can you spot the difference? https://t.co/wUEPYe45hh pic.twitter.com/UXqzqUdzIn
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) May 1, 2018
Doggate could mean worse things I guess.