Judge ejects British MP for election lies about opponent

[Newsjock]

Source: The Guardian

The former immigration minister Phil Woolas was ejected from parliament today after two high court judges ruled that he lied about his Liberal Democrat opponent during the general election, in a judgment that is likely to have profound implications for all future campaigns.

Woolas claimed the ruling – which also triggered a byelection and barred him from standing again for three years – would "chill political speech", but the Lib Dem who challenged his 103 majority welcomed the decision, saying lying should play no part in democratic elections.

Elwyn Watkins claimed Woolas knowingly misled voters in Oldham East in a desperate bid to stir up religious tensions in the last days of the election by claiming Watkins had "wooed" Islamic extremists. He also claimed Woolas lied about Watkins's intention to live in the constituency.

The specially convened election court upheld those arguments after it saw confidential emails between Woolas's team, which included the line: "If we don't get the white folk angry he (Woolas)'s gone."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/05/phil-woolas-ejected-parliament-election

[arbusto_baboso]

1. "Lying should play no part in democratic elections".

SIGH. Too bad we can't get our legal system here to accept that concept... :argh:

[Scuba]

2. Ahhhh, we can dream.