The Labour candidate in Hornsey and Wood Green has resorted to desperate smears against the Liberal Democrat candidate, Lynne Featherstone – and is now facing possible legal action.
The letter to residents contained the false statement: “Lynne Featherstone…was even a minister in the Home Office when the disgraceful “Go Home” vans were sent out.”
At the time the vans went out (July 2013), Lynne Featherstone was in the Department for International Development, kick-starting the campaign to end FGM and fighting to protect the aid budget. Lynne Featherstone was a minister at DFID from September 2012 – November 2014.
Labour have been advised to immediately cease delivering the letters, and issue a retraction to all residents who’ve received the letter.
Failure to issue the retraction will lead to the matter being reported to the police – which would throw Labour’s campaign in Hornsey and Wood Green into turmoil.
In a statement to residents, Lynne Featherstone commented:
“Today, many residents received a letter from the Labour party – which contains false information.
“In it they say I was the Home Office minister at the time of the ‘go home’ vans. This is not true.
“My team and I are very upset with the lies and the desperate smears, which are being sent out by the local Labour campaign.
“Just to be clear – at the time the vans went out (July 2013) I was in the Department for International Development, kick-starting the campaign to end FGM and fighting to protect the aid budget. Had I been in the Home Office at this time – those awful vans would not have happened.
“As you know, I have been running a unity campaign here in Haringey, and have always been relentlessly positive about the benefits of immigration.
“Contrast this to Labour – sending out leaflets about their ‘tough new approach to immigration’ to the most diverse parts of this constituency, pledging to freeze immigrants out of welfare for 2 years, and that ‘control on immigration’ mug.
“We’re so upset by the lies, that we’ve decided we have to take action. I don’t believe politics and elections should be conducted like this. That’s why we’ve asked Labour to stop delivering the letter and issue a retraction to everyone who received it.”
Lynne Featherstone 
You really should put this matter in the hands of the Police. This is defamation of the worst kind, and amply demonstrates the desperate depths that Labour will sink to in their vain efforts to gain some seats. Simply requesting a further letter from them, retracting their slurs isn’t enough. They need to be brought to account.
Any retraction they publish will be as a footnote at the bottom of a page in tiny print, apologising for their “error”.
Get the Police involved NOW!
Lynn and Team. It would be great to see any statements Lynne put out at the time voicing her opposition to the vans.
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IMO, any retraction letter that is produced needs to be fulsome, unqualified and add no other material. Anything less than this should IMO, not be accepted.
Clive Carter
Councillor, Highgate Ward
Liberal Democrat
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24141524
You need to get the press and TV to report this if possible.
It’s sickening to contemplate the Labour Party candidate winning this seat after this appalling misrepresentation.
According to this article , they did object to the vans and stopped them going nationwide –
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dems-to-veto-tory-plans-to-send-controversial-go-home-vans-nationwide-8890366.html
Why would this be reported to the police?
This is absolutely typical of Labour. They will knowingly use every possible lie and smear just before polling day confident that if they are caught out, it will be too late to correct their propaganda. There are some very sick people in that lot. The best answer is to see their faces on polling day when they know they’ve lost.
I shall attach a brief summary of the above to the placard outside my house so that potential Labour voters can see that they are being misled.
When ‘Go Home Vans’ went out (July 2013) that time Mark Harper, was the the immigration minister. It was not Lynne Featherstone. It is not fair to blame Lynne Featherstone for something what she has not done.