Phil Woolas and truth in politics

On the subject of truth in politics - although not on the scale of personal attacks - it turns out that the Lib Dems campaigned on their cutting tuition fees despite knowing two months before the election that they would be dropping it as part of a coalition. Nick Clegg will be preparing to take a lot of flak over this, given some of the statements he's made since the election...Vince Cable too. This could actually see the end of the Lib Dems as a sort of political force in this country, and could pave the way for the Green Party to step up and become the party of choice for students and left-leaning people.

https://newsdiscontent.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/naughty-nick-tells-massive-lie-during-election/

The Lib Dems did not lie about tuition fees.

Had the Lib Dems been elected as a majority Government they would have adopted their policy of reducing the fees to zero over a six year period.

However, a Lib Dem Government did not get elected.

No doubt there were lots of different contingency plans about what might be possible in the event of a coalition with either Labour or Conservative.

Don't blame the Lib Dems for being unable to implement their election manifesto - blame the electorate for voting for more Conservative and Labour MPs than Lib Dems.

It may be that election leaflets can be pretty toxic, but if they are then they must be confined to marginal constituencies. Where I am, Cardiff South and Penarth, they are fairly boring, except in the case of the nutjob parties and they are delusional. The difference here is that, from what I've read, they (the leaflets) were almost slanderous. That strikes me as being pretty serious. The other thing bothering me about this is the faux affrontedness being displayed by MPs of all stripes. It's almost as if they believe themselves to be above the law. Why else would those three expenses scandal MPs want to be tried by the 'House' rather than the courts? A much more tolerant approach perhaps? MP Winnock say that the place "was not a club", but they all behave like it is, and an extremely privileged one at that.
Regards, etc.

To Pensfold (post number 2):

You say "Had the Lib Dems been elected as a majority Government they would have adopted their policy of reducing the fees to zero over a six year period. However, a Lib Dem Government did not get elected."

The point is .... there was never ANY chance whatsoever that the Lib Dems could win the election with an outright majority. It was almost mathematically impossible. Clegg knew that. The Lib Dems knew that. Every politician in the country knew that.

Therefore, Clegg WAS deceitful and the Liberal Democrats DID lie because they made promises (not just this one - but virtually their whole manifesto) to young naive voters that the party knew full well they wouldn't be able to keep. It was a con-trick.

Consequently, Clegg has caused absolute uproar, and I think its shocking that the BBC and other media have declined to report it.

I agree that LibDems have lied and that they deserve the same fate as Woolas; and I hope that this is done through recall elections when (and if) the legislation has passed.
No elected MP should feel that they can get away with telling untruths to the electorate.

Thats correct Pensfold but the Lib Dems knew there would be a hung parliament and all the polls had predicted that for quite some time before the election.They still kept spouting about their manifesto despite the fact they knew they wouldnt be able to keep certain promises unless they grew some balls,which unfortunately they havnt.The whole point of being in a Coalition is to temper the extremist policies of the majority party.These policies are the opposite of what the Lib Dems stood for.If they had any guts they would have stood up to the Tories over Housing benefit,IDS's proposals and Tuition fees.If they were en mass to vote against tuition fees the policy would be defeated.Its not that difficult to understand is it?The fact that they havnt says a lot about Clegg and his party

Labour’s shadow Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas, has been "ejected" from parliament after a court ruling that he had breached election laws by falsely declaring that his Liberal Democrat opponent had “wooed” extremist Muslims.
Wow, that seems pretty extreme to me - not that he was ejected, but that he made sich a sensitive acusation during these sensitive times.
For the first time in almost 100 years a specially convened Election Court overturned the result of a parliamentary poll. The Court upheld the claim by Elwyn Watkins that Woolas knowingly made false statements.
Elwyn Watkins: This verdict is a victory for the people of Oldham East and Saddleworth, a victory for fair play and a victory for clean politics.
I very much agree with the Court Ruling, but I'm sure Paul Woolas was not alone; he was just the one who got caught.
As you state: "in the heat of an election campaign it's been pretty much accepted...that there's little to be done about it, except put out your own counter-claims".
Can you imagine an election that was "clean" - no lies, no false claims, no dirty accusations - just a good-clean democratic run?

BluesBerry ,it would certianly be novel but how would you police a partisan MSM?
How would you police an " impartial " broadcaster?
How would you police lies and obfuscations masquerading as news and not views?

Lets face it the media of the UK have done their fair share of spin/lying/misspeaking and have chosen their " experts" with an eye to supporting their "man".

I find it utterly shocking and despicable.

All news and information is tailored, not to suit the majority but to suit the few. The true Capitalist of this world (2% of the world population who own 80% of the world wealth) need sheep to keep the right people in power, for if people learned the real truth, the masses aka the workingman aka the ordinary people, would never vote for any Right-Wing Politics, and that includes Right-Wing Nu-Labour, make no mistakes Labour Party is Ring Wing to. They have kick out any one that is Left-Wing, So in affect you had just over 30 year's of Capitalist Policy aka Right-Wing Politics, and this kind of politics do not suit the ordinary people, because it,s not for the ordinary people its just for the few.
The TUSC would be 100 times better for the ordinary people, This kind of politics is for the masses, the workingman, the ordinary people, Even the middle class would benefit far better under any type of Left-Wing Politics