No prizes for the correct answer.
Perhaps this shabby impersonation of a respected local paper is no surprise: for decades, politicians have been ripping off their local news services and burying their names in tiny type under a heap of dubious or outright untrue claims while wrapping themselves in a cloak of borrowed credibility.
This particular example, however, plumbs new depths: the identification requirements from the hopelessly inadequate law are fulfilled by a further masquerade: instead of the Conservative organisation identifying themselves properly as the advertiser, voters are asked to ‘contact your local opposition candidate.’
As we have pointed out ad nauseam (ad nauseous in this case), politicians can drive a big red bus through the rules for electoral advertising because – aside from the abused ID rules above – there aren’t any. Ads don’t have to be legal, decent, honest and truthful and, it would seem, politicians simply can’t resist the invitation to be illegal, indecent, dishonest and strangers to the truth.
So the voters of Hereford are treated like cattle; hopefully, they will respond in the time-honoured fashion, but meanwhile this ridiculous and grossly insulting advertising cannot be allowed to continue. Write to your MP, send us money, complain to passing strangers, anything but continue to allow this deceitful, manipulative nonsense.
Reform Political Advertising
We need your help to continue our campaign to prevent lies in electoral advertising. Please read how you can support our campaign here. We are making significant progress.
