Campaign was false and fake

Election Court day three

Agent goes on attack over Lib-Dem tactics

Phil Woolas’s agent attacked the Liberal Democrat’s Oldham East and Saddleworth General Election campaigning calling it false and fake at the third day of the historic petition trial in Uppermill.

Joe Fitzpatrick, who has been the Oldham East and Saddleworth MP’s agent for 15 years, fiercely defended the Labour campaign and said he had committed “absolutely no offence” in leaflets he published on behalf of the MP.

The former Oldham councillor said that Mr Woolas was at risk from “mad Muslims” and “bunches of crazies” who Mr Watkins failed to condemn.

Warned by one of the judges that his evidence in support of Mr Woolas’s case could make him guilty of breaching electoral law, he said he was happy to proceed.

He stood by allegations that Mr Watkins had spent £200,000 on his campaign, busting the spending rules, and said he was completely convinced that Mr Watkins had committed electoral offences which would be reported to police at the end of the case adding: “We are concerned to defend ourselves against false accusations.” He said that he believed it was also false that Mr Watkins had a home in the constituency in Delph saying it was temporary accommodation.

A pamphlet, leaflet and eight-page newspaper, The Examiner, published by Woolas and Mr Fitzpatrick as Woolas’s agent, are at the centre of the case, which is the first of its kind for almost 100 years.

Mr Watkins says they published false statements about his character or conduct to affect the result of the May 6 election which Mr Woolas won by 103 votes after two recounts, and broke electoral law.



This historic case is being heard at Uppermill Civic Hall and will finish sitting today. But Mr Woolas faces a nail-biting wait to hear if his seat is safe.

Mr Watkins will have to wait for the result of his petition after High Court Judges Mr Justice Griffith Williams and Mr Justice Nigel Teare said they will reserve their judgment until mid-October.

It is not clear whether their decision will be handed down in London or Saddleworth.

If they agree with Elwyn Watkins’s petition, Phil Woolas could be debarred for three years, and a by-election held.