Regret the Error

An article pointed to a political dispute in Islington, north London, as an example of why some opponents suspected the Liberal Democrats of preparing to use dirty tactics at the next election (Lib Dems accused of dog whistle politics over Gypsy claims, 12 September, page 7). It also mentioned an incident when a rival candidate was called a “greasy-haired twat” in a Lib Dem leaflet during June’s county council election campaign in Cornwall. A small text panel showed the offending leaflet extract, captioning it: “literature distributed on behalf of Anna Pascoe, Lib Dem candidate for Cornwall council”. Anna Pascoe has asked us to make clear that she neither endorsed nor voiced the insult. She and the area’s Lib Dem agent denounced it at the time, and said it appeared in about 40 rogue leaflets distributed while about 1,700 authorised leaflets were being given out. Link