Labour’s Deputy Leader and Party Chair Angela Rayner says the
Conservative Party must investigate after a Tory newsletter urged
its members to “weaponise fake news”.
The newsletter said the Party should “make enough dubious claims”
to ensure “honest speakers are overwhelmed” and “crowd out” the
truth.
Rayner has written to , Chair of the Conservative Party, to demand an
inquiry, and for her to condemn its contents or confirm whether
it is now Conservative Party policy.
Rayner has also demanded that the inquiry investigate allegations
that a young Conservative activist, who raised concerns about the
content of the Wellingborough newsletter, has received “several
threatening phone calls warning him his political career would be
destroyed if he did not fall into line”.
Ends
Full text of letter from Angela Rayner to :
Dear Amanda
I am writing to you following deeply concerning reports regarding
behaviour within one of the Conservative Party’s local
associations in Wellingborough.
The allegations include:
An official newsletter has been circulated by Wellingborough
Conservative Association praising Donald Trump’s dishonesty and
lying, encouraging Conservatives to “make enough dubious claims”
to ensure “honest speakers are overwhelmed”, and “weaponise fake
news” in order to “crowd out” the truth.
That one young local Conservative activist who raised concerns
about the content of the newsletter was removed from the
Conservative candidates’ list and has received, “several
threatening phone calls warning him that his political career
would be destroyed if he did not fall into line”.
The public rightly expect honesty and integrity from political
parties, elected politicians, candidates and local party
activists. A Conservative Party newsletter that encourages
members and politicians to openly lie raises serious questions
that demand urgent answers:
1. Will you now launch an investigation into the actions of
Wellingborough Conservative Association, including who wrote the
newsletter, how it was paid for and who had oversight of?
2. Will disciplinary action be taken against any member of the
Conservative Party who wrote, edited or distributed the
newsletter?
3. Was the Member of Parliament for Wellingborough, , aware of the
contents of this newsletter? If so, did he approve the contents
of the newsletter and will he now make his position clear?
4. Is it true that a local activist, Jack Summers, was removed
from a list of Conservative candidates because he raised concerns
about the content of the leaflet? If so, who took this decision,
and were you or staff at CCHQ aware of it?
5. Will an investigation be launched into allegations that Jack
Summers has received “several threatening phone calls warning him
his political career would be destroyed if he did not fall into
line” after raising concerns about the contents of the
newsletter?
6. Will you, as Chair of the Conservative Party publicly condemn
the content of the newsletter and the threatening behaviour
towards Jack Summers, and issue guidance to Conservative
Associations and Conservative Party members, including Members of
Parliament and local Councillors, about the importance of honesty
and integrity in our politics?
7. If not, can you confirm whether it is now Conservative Party
policy to “weaponise fake news” and censure party members who
speak out against it, and have other Conservative MPs, local
associations, party members and activists also been encouraged to
do so?
After the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary refused to
speak out when President Trump was claiming victory and alleging
fraud in the US presidential election, this newsletter seems to
demonstrate that the Conservative Party is copying from Donald
Trump’s playbook and implementing a political strategy of
weaponising fake news, making dishonest statements and telling
brazen lies in order to “crowd out” and “overwhelm” the truth.
Given the importance of honesty and integrity in our politics,
values which I am sure that you would want to uphold as Chair of
the Conservative Party, I look forward to your early response to
the questions I have asked.
Yours sincerely,
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Party Chair
