Labour - False Statements

A Labour councillor has been found guilty of falsely branding a Liberal Democrat rival a paedophile and telling electors he had sex with teenage boys. Miranda Grell slurred gay Lib Dem candidate Barry Smith while campaigning for the Leyton ward in Waltham Forest Council, east London, in 2006.

Grell, 29, was convicted by magistrates of two counts of making false statements about another candidate. She was handed a £1,000 fine and will be forced to vacate her seat.

Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court heard in police interviews Grell admitted she had discussed Mr Smith's sexuality with one local resident. She said she told the man Mr Smith claimed to be married despite having a 19-year-old Thai boyfriend.

Grell put the mistake down to political immaturity and inexperience at campaigning.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7006231.stm
Feel free to leave a message of farewell on Miranda's blog here

More about Grell's political immaturity from her blog.

My mother was a teacher and formidable local activist. She instilled in me the importance of civic duty and public service. As a result I became active in my local community as a school governor, got involved in the Leyton & Whipps Cross Community Council, becoming Community Vice Chair, and I also sat on the board of Leyton ward’s Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder as the resident ‘Community Champion’ for Jobs.

On the 4th of May 2006, I was elected a Leyton ward councillor for the Labour party, taking the seat from a high profile Lib Dem council cabinet member and overturning a 600+ vote majority. Prior to May 2006, the Liberals had held the Leyton ward for twenty-five long years

….and now we know why don't we