Conservative campaign backfires

11.19.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 13th Jul 2005

Stephen Day's negative campaign has backfired

THE CONSERVATIVE campaign in the Cheadle by-election has backfired spectacularly. The Stockport Times has condemned literature produced by Stephen Day's campaign as "electioneering of the worst kind." They said that they "condemned it utterly."

The Conservative literature contained a headline claiming to be from the Stockport Express. But no such headline ever appeared in the paper.

The misleading literature then quotes attacks made by political opponents of the Liberal Democrats. But these were portrayed as if they were made by the local newspaper.

Former Conservative supporters have been angered by the negative and personally abusive campaign run by the Conservative candidate.

The Conservative campaign began with a leading Bramhall Conservative Councillor calling for a change of candidate. Another former Bramhall Conservative Councillor, Les Leggett, has even gone so far as to stand against Mr Day in the by-election.