WALC admits Election Leaflet was Inaccurate

JPC failed to make any checks

The Joint Parish Council disclosed at the Council meeting on Monday 20th February that the anonymous flyer about becoming a parish councillor, which was circulated with the last JPC Magazine, was provided by the Warwickshire Association of Local Councils (WALC).

Many residents had complained that it contained very obvious inaccuracies. The "Do I qualify to stand for election?" panel failed to include the word "AND" and word "OR" THREE times, turning 4 alternatives into one single requirement with 5 criteria. Had this been correct, it would have disqualified all the retired electors and anyone working more than 3 miles outside the parish from becoming a councillor. It would also have meant that 10 out of 12 of the present councillors would not qualify to stand. The chairman, Cllr Roger Hubbocks, with the powerful support of Cllr Les Goodman, blocked any discussion and suggested the matter could be taken up with WALC. They agreed that the leaflet had been distributed without any checks being made on its accuracy by the JPC.

After the meeting, Henley NEWS emailed WALC saying that their leaflet contained inaccuracies. WALC responded by agreeing and revised the leaflet. Will the JPC now distribute the correct version?

Seeking Advice and Clarification

If you have any questions, you should ask the Stratford District Council Democratic Support Services on 01789 260208 or email: elections@stratford-dc.gov.uk

The Advert That Never Was

Many readers will have seen the 1956 movie, "The Man Who Never Was" which was about the true story of a British attempt to trick the enemy into weakening Sicily's defenses before the 1943 attack, using a dead man with faked papers. 

Operation 'Mincemeat' involved the acquisition and dressing up of a human cadaver as a "Major William Martin, R.M." and putting it into the sea near Huelva, Spain. Attached to the corpse was a brief-case containing fake letters falsely stating that the Allied attack would be against Sardinia and Greece rather than Sicily, the actual point of invasion.

When the body was found, the Spanish Intelligence Service passed copies of the papers to the German Intelligence Service which passed them on to their High Command. The ruse was so successful that the Germans still believed that Sardinia and Greece were the intended objectives, weeks after the landings in Sicily had begun.

At the JPC Council meeting on 6th, February Cllr Nicholas Haycock produced a picture of a simulated advert (reproduced above); "The Advert That Never Was". Both Cllr Haycock and Cllr Les Goodman expressed their strong condemnation for the Henley Independents and the spoof advert. 

Clearly, the English still have the ingenuity to mislead political adversaries.