Tories accuse Lib Dems of “illegal” lockdown Milton Keynes election campaigning

The letters, signed by “Focus Team” councillors Douglas McCall, Jane Carr and Paul Alexander, were delivered by hand to a 12-15 homes in Tickford Street, Newport Pagnell.

A furious Tory spokesman slammed the Lib Dems for delivering the letter, on the subject of a consultation over pavement parking in Tickford Street.

The letters, using the Lib Dem party logo, were delivered in the middle of January, just days before the Government reinforced the do not leave home message by explicitly banning “door to door campaigning or leafleting by individual political party activists.”

The Conservative spokesperson slammed the Lib Dem decision.

“If it wasn’t campaigning, they have the option to send out letters on council paper via council mailing – clearly it was campaigning on this occasion,” he said.

“It’s extremely disappointing that MK Liberal Democrats continue to deliver political literature during a national lockdown.

“It has been made illegal because it puts people at risk and causes those who are shielding unnecessary anxiety. We must continue to follow the national guidance.

“No party should be putting politics above the safety of our residents and the Lib Dems should apologise for their actions.”

In the letter the trio of Lib Dems apologised for “writing to you during a pandemic”.

One of the signatories, Cllr Jane Carr (Newport Pagnell South), said they decided that the issue is an urgent one to inform residents about because of a time limit on a council consultation.

The council is proposing to paint double yellow lines in the street which the councillors want to delay for as long as possible, and they have called on residents to respond.

Cllr Carr said she delivered the leaflets to 12 to 15 properties with her husband. She said it is a one off letter and denied that the Lib Dems are campaigning or that it is a campaigning letter.

“They were public information letters which is within the guidance and to raise awareness of the need to respond to a time limited public consultation,” she said.

“Residents have called me to talk about the proposals and their concerns,” she added.

Cllr Carr also pointed to the oddity of companies being paid and allowed to deliver leaflets about pizza and a new milk delivery service in Newport Pagnell, but there is a ban on volunteers delivering leaflets.

“For some reason I can pay a company to deliver leaflets but it is wrong for volunteers to deliver them,” she added.