Lib Dems 'telling kids to take sweets from strangers'
Eric Pickles calls for Lib Dem election manual to be withdrawn
Tuesday, 04, Apr 2006 12:00
The ubiquitous political sniping ahead of May's local elections began in earnest today when the Conservatives accused the Liberal Democrats of bribing children.
Tory deputy chairman Eric Pickles said the Lib Dems were guilty of "reckless electioneering" in advising their activists to give sweets to local children to persuade them to hand out leaflets.
"Political parties have to be responsible and not encourage children to get in potentially dangerous situations. No responsible adult should ever entice unsupervised children to take sweets from strangers," he said.
Mr Pickles has written a letter to Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard calling on him to withdraw the party's election manual, which was launched by leader Menzies Campbell yesterday, as a matter of urgency.
Compiled by the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors (ALDC), it advises activists to ask local children to help them deliver leaflets, and "then proceed Pied Piper-like round the estate doling out badges and toffees and leaflets".
"This election manual is completely oblivious to common sense. At a time of heightened concern about the safety of children, I do not believe that the public will tolerate such reckless electioneering by the Liberal Democrats," Mr Pickles declared.
He compared the manual to a similar ALDC handbook published a few years ago, which urged council candidates to "be wicked, act shamelessly, stir endlessly…positive campaigning will not be enough to win control of the council".
However, Lord Rennard rejected the suggestions that this year's election manual would put children at risk, insisting: "This is a ridiculous rehash of absurd allegations. All political parties find that young people are often willing deliverers of party literature."
A Lib Dem spokesman added: "Rather than launching negative attacks on our opponents, Liberal Democrats will be campaigning during these elections on the issues that matter to local people, such as the environment, council tax, crime and anti-social behaviour."
The Liberal Democrats are defending control of 12 councils in the forthcoming local authority elections, but have promised to target both the Tories and Labour, who between them control 103 out of 177 councils that are holding polls this year.