Posted by The Labour candidate in Luton and Wayfield made desparaging comments about her potential colleagues on social networking site Facebook, it has been revealed.
The judgement of Chatham and Aylesford MP Jonathan Shaw has also been called into question, after both his involvement in the selection of disgraced former councillor Dennis MacFarlane and Labour by-election candidate Sam Whittington.
In addition to making the comments about Medway councillors, it seems Ms Whittington also had few good words to say about the Labour Government, and Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, as well as ‘vulgar and profane language along with comments of an extreme sexual nature’ and even ‘racist innuendos’.
AlanWCollins does not pretend to be a saint when it comes to posting comments on Facebook, or elsewhere on the blogosphere, but finds it strange that Medway Labour should continue to support a candidate who has effectively announced (privately, if not publicly) her dislike for Labour colleagues and the Labour Party machine.
It is believed, though not confirmed by the Councillors Goulden, who are remaining tight-lipped about the full reasons for their departure from the Labour Group, that Ms Whittington’s selection was the final straw, the reason why they decided to go Independent before, as opposed to after, the 3 September by-election.
Ironically, as commented elsewhere, Tony Goulden was the Labour Group Whip, the man in charge of keeping everyone in check. His own dissatisfaction with the running of the Group, particularly after an ‘acrimonious’ meeting with Group Leader Cllr Paul Godwin, has been said to be because he was being ignored in his capacity.
It is also revealed that, depsite their longevity as ward councillors, the Gouldens were removed from input into the selection process, both in 2007 and this year.
Comments have also been made by other activists and residents, both on AlanWCollins and elsewhere, attacking the Gouldens personally. It seems strange to many that people should attack two councillors of good standing and long, effective service to their community, and then defend a by-election candidate with a hardly impressive track record and a less than amicable start to her political career.
What is certain, however, is that the Luton and Wayfield by-election has become far more than just a simple campaign between seven candidates. It is a fight for survival for the Labour Group. It is a fight for growth for the Conservative Group. It is a re-instatement of the Independent Group.
It is making local politics in Medway much more interesting.
2009 By-Election
September 3, 2009
| Candidates | Party | Votes | |||
| Gary Allanach | Liberal Democrat | - | |||
| Tashi Tamang Bhutia | Conservative | - | |||
| Brian Cartwright | Independent | - | |||
| Robin Charles Johnson | UK Independence Party | - | |||
| Sarah March D’Angelo | Green Party | - | |||
| Brian Christian Ravenscroft | British National Party | - | |||
| Sam Whittington | Labour | - | |||
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More smears and rummours from the Tory front. You obviously dont know what you are talking about. Its interesting that all you Troies speak about civil liberties and internet freedom but one of your colleages won’t publish comments which show him ina bad light and instead makes threats against anyone who dares to criticise. Hipocrits!!!!
Very nice analysis, Alan! I can see a career in journalism on the horizon (if you ever felt inclined to go down that road).
As for Anon above, who is probably Tristan Osborne or one of his ilk, I dealt with him over on my ‘blog. His Damian McBride-like diversionary and smear tactics won’t wash with me; but if he were to try again, I’d gladly demolish him entirely, once and for all.
Of course, anonymous attacks are the mark of the coward, and usually someone who is hiding something (else) as well, so we already know the kind of lower life form with whom we are dealing — and one that can’t spell either!
Never mind: your articles in the Luton and Wayfield category have been very good, actually; and when this by-election is over I intend to save them all here (with all comments) for posterity and as an example of how to handle such issues well.
Anonymous attacks are the mark of the coward. Yeah like the coward who hacked into someone’s private Facebook page. Now thats what you call a lower life form.
Well, I wonder who that was then…
As a fascinated outsider in all this I would just observe that however good a comment is, it kind of loses its hit when labelled Anon. It always reminds me of kids at school who will play best friends one day, and whisper about you the next.
Incidentally, "anon" has effectively admitted that the page exists (and I gather it’s in the hands of local newspapers) and must presumably have known that all along, despite previous claims. So now we know!
The "Anon" does indeed confirm the existence of the labour candidate’s Facebook page. A page you can only access by being a friend of Ms Whittington, so clearly a "friend" must have leaked it. Hacking it would leave people open to the risk of prosecution. If you were a "friend" you would have open access.
This demonstrates two points: 1. Nothing on the internet is secure or private so you have to watch what you say or it can come back and bite you as poor old John found out in the past. 2. You have to choose your friends carefully or they can drop you right in it .
Tony and Val Goulden must feel very strongly about this because their political careers are just about over. Labour have handled this matter very poorly and its they who must take any blame.
Its no good blaming the Tories, Lib Dems or any one else. They are enjoying Labour’s embarrassment. If you don’t say such things as claimed you won’t be hurt by them. Labour have not denied what’s being claimed and Ms Whittington has not apologised for them only offered to do so. Then we must assume all that is claimed is true because absolutely no one is saying its untrue.
Anon comments should not be published because they are the mark of the coward.
Interesting comment from Alan Jefferies, being himself this time, which is good news. Yes, I admite that I am now “poor” and “old”, having recently reached the age of sixty — and looking good on it, to quote Cap’n Jack Harkness!
Just for the record: I for one am not enjoying Labour’s embarrassment, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if I turned out to be the exception. It is why I stuck to reporting only what I knew, and qualified anything not yet certain, also inviting a secure way to let me comment purely on the “top level” of what that Facebook page contained — after Polling Day if necessary.
What I still want so strongly is for this whole business to be cleaned up so that we can all move on and get on with the real business of dealing with Medway’s needs and wishes, as far as is humanly possible. Even I contribute to that from the sidelines, as best I can, and we could all do the same if we so chose.
Meanwhile, it is important for the slowly-developing ward of Luton and Wayfield (gradually catching up with the likes of Rainham and urban Strood) not to make a mistake in the by-election on the basis of unclear or incomplete information about the candidates.
Putting the boot on the other foot, I’d be most displeased if I cast my vote here on the basis of false, camouflaged or other misleading or incomplete information and by the time I found out, it was too late to do anything about it.
Being myself John, what does that mean?
With regard to the Labour candidate, it clear that Tony and Val know more than me but voter will as always have to disseminate fact from fiction and the fact is Labour have handled matters badly. However your promise of further exposures has yet to come to light. Was this the fiction??
Well, Alan J, you might have forgotten by now the occasions when you posted at least semi-anonymously, ands it was only recognition of the old “ajj” email address that gave the game away.
Once you even claimed you would be voting in my ward, which of course if you had been posting openly as yourself would have given that game away too, as you don’t live here and cannot vote in this ward, so that was obviously false as well — a case of misrepresentation purporting to be a voter in Rochester South and Horsted ward.
I have of course kept it all on file, just in case of future need…
I do not currently know what further exposures will be able to come into the public domain, and probably not until after the by-election Polling Day. To some extent it will depend on whether the “private” web page is ever fully disclosed.
Personally, I hope not — which is why I hope that someone independent will simply say whether each of the claims about it is either true or false and leave it at that.
The detailed content should by now not need to be exposed to public gaze: all the voters of Luton and Wayfield need to be aware of is the broad nature and indpendent “yes” or “no” verification of each aspect as stated so far. Otherwise it’s just left hanging, and the public will rightly wonder just what is being hidden from them and why.
[...] tactics somewhere a bit more private. How you refer to your own party can also be an issue. Here, prospective Labour Councillor, Ms Sam Whittington… “… had few good words to say [...]