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Lib Dems 'very sorry' for misleading Watford Observer quote in campaign leaflet

5:49pm Tuesday 23rd February 2010


The Liberal Democrats in Watford have today apologised to the Watford Observer for publishing misleading information in their latest election campaign leaflet.

The leaflet, which was delivered to thousands of homes across the constituency last weekend, presents a quote attributed to the Watford Observer that stated: “The signs look good for the Lib Dems to topple Claire Ward.”

However, the quote was actually taken from a story in May 2007, when the quote was clearly attributed to the Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, a Liberal Democrat.

It in no way reflects comment or opinion that has been expressed by the Watford Observer.

This is the second time this quote has been used by the Liberal Democrats.

In October 2007, five months after the original story was published, Sal Brinton, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Watford, apologised for reproducing the quote and attributing it to the Watford Observer in a campaign leaflet.

Watford Observer group editor Peter Wilson-Leary said: “To the casual reader it suggests the Watford Observer is backing the Liberal Democrats when our editorial policy is that we are independent of political parties, private interest and government. “In 2007 the party apologised for the error and promised a written assurance that it would not be repeated.

“It is extremely disappointing to find out that exactly the same thing has happened again. Another leaflet carries the same quote, same attribution.

“I can only conclude that the matter was not taken seriously enough back in 2007 and that steps taken to ensure this mistake did not happen again were inadequate.”

Ms Brinton said today: “I'm shocked and very upset that it's happened again. It was a mistake by a volunteer who is new to Watford and wasn't picked up by our proof reader.

“It was a mistake and I'm very, very sorry about it.

“I have had stern words with the team and the file was deleted so it won't happen again.”

She added that thousands of undelivered leaflets had now been recalled.


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Your Say YourWatford

Arthur, Garston says...
6:10pm Tue 23 Feb 10

Here we go again - they're not called "Fib Dems" for nothing.

They should be forced to put out another leaflet retracting this untruth.

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Intrigued, Cassiobury says...
6:41pm Tue 23 Feb 10

She really shouldn't just blame it on a new volunteer. It's her responsibility to check anything that goes out in her name and I don't believe that she wouldn't have read it before it went out.
And why would all the work be left on the shoulders of one volunteer? Sounds like another tall tale being spun...

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RSIAP, Meriden says...
7:29pm Tue 23 Feb 10

They say there is nothing wrong with making a mistake,only not learning from it.Seems this munch of freeloaders cant even make original mistakes,they just drag up old ones.......good ridence to them (hopefully lol)Im fed up with seeing the front end of a pantomime pony for a MARE.....If dotty shook my hand i would count my fingers afterwards.

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Jim_UK, watford says...
8:33pm Tue 23 Feb 10

Are they also going to remove the misleading chart they keep using that suggests the Tories can't win in Watford? Anyone who knows the results from the last election knows that the Tories were very close to the Lib Dems and are more than capable of winning the seat. As said they're not known as the "Fib Dems for nothing".

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reality-bites, London says...
10:00pm Tue 23 Feb 10

I hope they didn't waste taxpayers money on that propaganda!

And as for the Observer being impartial! the jury is still out considering the many lib dem only stories published on this site -just take a look back!

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HertsPeter, Watford says...
7:48am Wed 24 Feb 10

What's worse? Committing this porky-pie in the first place? Not 'deleting the file' at the time? Or the fact that not only was this guff reproduced again, but it was allegedly proof-read (hahaha) and still went out? Hardly bodes well does it?

I'll tell you exactly what's worse - wasting your vote on this mob!!

What will the WO do if this or something similar happens again? (Not that it will I am sure ;-) ).

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Arthur, Garston says...
9:49am Wed 24 Feb 10

molly - where are you when mrs m needs you so much?

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Steve, Abbots Langley, says...
9:51am Wed 24 Feb 10

Hold on a minute didn't she give a written undertaking to the Watford Observer that it wouldn't happen again last time! That was the most worthless assurance since Neville Chamberlain got something similar. So Sal doesn't even know what rubbish is being pumped out in her name? The excuse that it was down to a volunteer doesn't ring true. They are awash with money and full-time paid staff.

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comms745, Watford says...
12:12pm Wed 24 Feb 10

This is obviously an own goal for the Lib Dems, but at least they have had the decency to own up to it. It is a bit of a pity the editor didn't have the grace to acknowledge that.

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b.o.p., says...
12:36pm Wed 24 Feb 10

comms745 wrote:
This is obviously an own goal for the Lib Dems, but at least they have had the decency to own up to it. It is a bit of a pity the editor didn't have the grace to acknowledge that.
Are you serious???! They made up a load of tripe and said it was by the Watford ovbserver. If i was the editor i'd be frothing at the mouth.
And please tell me where the 'decency' is in chucking all the blame on some made up 'new volunteer'?

Sounds like she's trying to squirm out of this one. It's pathetic!

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enlightened one, Watford says...
2:53pm Wed 24 Feb 10

Well who'd have thought the Limp Dumbs telling lies,about as predictable as the sun coming up in the morning.Woeful.

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Rob Ridley, Croxley Green says...
6:23pm Wed 24 Feb 10

If assurances were given that it wouldn't happen again in print, whatever happened to the law of libel? Have the WO ever been threatened with the courts by political parties?

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CallowlandChris, Watford says...
10:38pm Wed 24 Feb 10

Sloppy and stupid but compared with what the former Conservative candidate for Watford was getting up to this is nothing...

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theguitarman, Oxhey Hall says...
9:02am Thu 25 Feb 10

Why do the Lib Dems write such stuff?, and the "editorial input" left to a new helper, come on, do me a favour. The data has to come from somewhere. If the Lib Dems concentrated on real issues rather then lies and rubbish they would get more votes. The current Conservative candidate has done more to make things right for Watford while still unelected than Claire Ward, Sal Brinton and Dot put together. Personally I cannot what until the election.

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b.o.p., says...
9:38am Thu 25 Feb 10

CallowlandChris wrote:
Sloppy and stupid but compared with what the former Conservative candidate for Watford was getting up to this is nothing...
No, "sloppy and stupid" is eating a doner kebab while riding a bike. What the lilbs have done is lie and cheat. An utter disgrace. They should send an apology to everyone.

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Steve, Abbots Langley, says...
12:14am Fri 26 Feb 10

Anyone heard from Molly Newman on this? Sal's making her excuses up as she goes along. How is it that a volunteer drags out exactly the same quotes as in 2007, in exactly the same format, as she said would never be repeated. Clearly someone who doesn't read her own leaflets, or know whats in them, isn't fit to be the town's MP. Why doesn't the three-time loser go back to Cambridge?

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Arthur, Garston says...
2:47pm Fri 26 Feb 10

Saw her the other night, didn't look very confident. People are catching on fast. A vote for her is a wasted vote that will put the Tories in power and she seems to know that.

If you care about the future for your children and grand children there's only one way to vote and that's not Fib Dem or Tory.

All the Tories are really interested in is ensuring that their pals, like Michael Ashcroft, get richer. That's very RICH just like their candidate who pretends to be ordinary when he's seriously wedged up - check out how much they're spending just on the front page of the WO these days, never mind the flash offices and leaflet drops.

This guy even admitted in last week's WO that he's got loads of shares squirreled away in an off-shore tax haven. The crazy thing is that he seems to think that's normal and that everyone has.

I can't help wondering just how many people in Watford really have shares buried away in an off-shore tax haven - I'm certainly not one of them are you?

This guy's just going through the motions of pretending to be "ordinary" like the rest of us, why in his leaflet he even claimed that he'd been a mini-cab driver and a market trader, which market would that be, the Hedge Fund Market?

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CallowlandChris, Watford says...
9:58pm Fri 26 Feb 10

b.o.p. wrote:
CallowlandChris wrote:
Sloppy and stupid but compared with what the former Conservative candidate for Watford was getting up to this is nothing...
No, "sloppy and stupid" is eating a doner kebab while riding a bike. What the lilbs have done is lie and cheat. An utter disgrace. They should send an apology to everyone.
Firstly, excellent kebab quote. Well they either lied or some dapy work experience person messed up. Neither is good. Did they cheat? Well i'm not sure about that - this is an election leaflet after all rather than an entry in a photography competition.

They certainly don't need to apologise to everyone. The only people they need to apologise to is the WO, which they have. Average person on the street wont care one jot about somethng as inconsequential as ths.

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CallowlandChris, Watford says...
10:03pm Fri 26 Feb 10

theguitarman wrote:
Why do the Lib Dems write such stuff?, and the "editorial input" left to a new helper, come on, do me a favour. The data has to come from somewhere. If the Lib Dems concentrated on real issues rather then lies and rubbish they would get more votes. The current Conservative candidate has done more to make things right for Watford while still unelected than Claire Ward, Sal Brinton and Dot put together. Personally I cannot what until the election.
I know Tory actvists have to push the party line but as you typed that breathtakingly stupid line about the 'conservative candidate' some part of you must have felt a bit guilty. Name one thing Richard 'has no connection wth Watford at all' Harrington has done for Watford!

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CallowlandChris, Watford says...
10:13pm Fri 26 Feb 10

Arthur: A vote for the Lib Dems is not a wasted vote that will put the Tories in power and you know it. The Libs are just as likely to go into a coaliton with Labour as they are the Tories - probably more so actually if based on policies.
Labour can't win this election out right and the best hope is a hung parliament. The latest polling makes the latter look very likely.

The most important thing is to limit the power of a future Tory government or to prevent it in the first place. Voting Labour may achieve the latter but a Lib Dem in Watford helps achieve the latter and helps with the former. On balance, the Lib Dems have a better chance of taking Watford than Labour do and if elected, their candidate could bump up the Lib Dem position in a possible coalition govt with the Tories (best of the worse case scenarios) and help reign in the worst excesses of neo-conservatism.

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Jim_UK, watford says...
10:41pm Fri 26 Feb 10

I see the Labour drones have turned up. Why on earth would anyone want to vote for Claire Ward? she represented her own interests in parliament, not those of her constituents. I don't see how I.D cards, illegal wars and high taxes have helped the people of Watford. She's a career politician with no interest in those she's supposed to be representing.

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Veritas, watford says...
11:59am Sat 27 Feb 10

this is much the same as Dotty and the "About Watford Magazine" Instead of having articles for Watford residents, she uses it as propaganda tool, to tell us how wonderful she and "sharpe" are.
The Fibs are really being very deceitful and sly using official media to endorse their views.
Good thing they are being exposed, so we are to trust Brinton who can't even proof read stuff before being printed!

They are also very sneakily then saying this "survery says" to endorse their views, luckily they are coming unstuck, only problem is that it is costing us dear in the mean time.

It was funny to see Brinton squirming at the recent meeting with Clegg, and he must be really stupid to not see how these two clowns have
lost the party votes. Dotty a really popular Mayor, gota few smiles!!!! Interesting how uncomfortabe he was when asked about Dotty's huge Pay.
I don't know of any voters with due respect to Brinton being asked to vote for them a fourth time? Wonder who her spin meister is, Dotty?

No other town would tolerate it, yet they must feel if you feed the voters of Watford enough rubbish they will believe anything, and beleive me their sin will get worse. lets hope the people ofWatford have finally had enough of the Pair of them, shame because of you get rid of leaders and councillors the rest are a decent bunch, they should be the ones to ask the questions about the quality of their leadership, they will have to after the elections. Should have done it sooner!!

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KellyP1978, Watford says...
2:23pm Sat 27 Feb 10

I've had zero to do with Claire, Richard or Sal - couldn't tell you what they've done for me, but then I've not asked for anything. The one person that I do know is Dorothy Thornhill and she couldn't be more different from the way some people on this site portray her. She's a very genuine kind human being and as for her husband he is one of the sweetest and most intelligent men you might hope to meet. Shame on your, to all of you that make up lies or misrepresent people on this site for supposed political gain - regardless of your party!

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theguitarman, Oxhey Hall says...
9:25am Mon 8 Mar 10

CallowlandChris wrote:
theguitarman wrote: Why do the Lib Dems write such stuff?, and the "editorial input" left to a new helper, come on, do me a favour. The data has to come from somewhere. If the Lib Dems concentrated on real issues rather then lies and rubbish they would get more votes. The current Conservative candidate has done more to make things right for Watford while still unelected than Claire Ward, Sal Brinton and Dot put together. Personally I cannot what until the election.
I know Tory actvists have to push the party line but as you typed that breathtakingly stupid line about the 'conservative candidate' some part of you must have felt a bit guilty. Name one thing Richard 'has no connection wth Watford at all' Harrington has done for Watford!
As you need help pleae consider the following.

Richard Harrington has done or helped the following in Watford:

Campaigned to save Watford Market

Got Health Campus backing from Tory health chief Andrew Lansley

Help young people boost skills and get engaged with local politics via work experience

Held many Q&As in all parts of the Constituency to listen to local views

Helped various local charities with fundraising efforts

Met with Fire and ambulance to get their views on their roles.

Also met with various community groups to listent to them inc. African, Carribean, Kosovar

What did Dotty Thornhill do, oh yes thats right, wanted to close Watford Market and move them into the street.

Sal Brinton, don't what she has done, the same as most Lib Dims I suppose, like claim absolute credit for other people efforts or blame other partys for the clangers they produce.

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Comments are closed on this article.

The Liberal Democrats in Watford have apologised for including this misleading quote, attributed to the Watford Observer, on their leafletycampaign leaflet. The Liberal Democrats in Watford have apologised for including this misleading quote, attributed to the Watford Observer, on their leafletycampaign leaflet.


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