Phil Woolas ejected from parliament over election slurs

 

The leaflet that cost Phil Woolas his Oldham East seat.

Phil Woolas, former minister of immigration, is ejected from parliament, in a judgment that will have consequences for all future campaigns. Elwyn Watkins (Woolas’ opponent) claimed that Woolas knowingly misled voters in Oldham East by claiming that Watkins had provoked Islamic extremists. He also claimed that Woolas lied about the intention of Watkins to live in the constituency.  The  high court ruled that Woolas knowingly made false and misleading statements about his Liberal Democrat opponent during the general election. Woolas lost his seat in the Commons and is barred for three years. He is also ordered to pay all costs.

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According to me, the high court took the right decision. Politicians are very important for a country. If they lie to make themselves more popular than the opponent, the nation does not know what to believe anymore. People can lose their trust in politics, because of situations like this.  I agree with Watkins, who said: “If you know you have lied about your opponent, then simply you have no part to play in democracy.”

Link:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/05/phil-woolas-ejected-parliament-election