Liberal Democrat Party prints fake newspapers resembling The Bucks Herald
Buckinghamshire’s Liberal Democrats have broken the party’s own rules on campaign materials in the run-up to the May 1 local elections.
Party activists in Aylesbury have been delivering fake newspapers called the ‘Aylesbury Herald’ – a title very similar to The Bucks Herald.
This is despite Lib Dem President Mark Pack telling campaigners to avoid using titles ‘that could be confused with any similar local newspaper’.
The Society of Editors called the use of fake newspapers ‘damaging to democracy’ after Lib Dem MP Sarah Green – and her Conservative rival – were caught using them last year.
And this week the Lib Dems have been slammed for once again rolling out the format just six weeks before Bucks voters head to the polls to elect their new councillors.
One election candidate said: “Some Lib Dems were so appalled when they saw the newspaper, clearly an imitation of the Herald, they were open about how much they hated it and refused to deliver it.
“When the Herald were alerted to the copycat newsletter, they said they would be contacting their legal team.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the source also referred to the chaotic resignation of five Bucks councillors from the Lib Dems last month.
They said: “Aylesbury Lib Dems are in such disarray. They are on their third campaign manager and have had more than one agent. Five Lib Dems left the group in one day.”
Last year, Mr Pack said party leaflets posing as newspapers should avoid mimicking real titles in order to ‘uphold local journalism and avoid confusing residents’.
He also said newspaper-style leaflets must clearly identify on the front page they are created by the Lib Dems.
The party’s latest leaflets do carry a Lib Dem imprint below the ‘Aylesbury Herald’ masthead – albeit in tiny writing.
A story on the front page of the leaflets claims the party is the only alternative in Conservative-controlled Bucks and that Labour and Reform UK are ‘out of the race’.
The LDRS asked the Lib Dems why the party continued with its newspaper format and in a style contrary to its own rules.
A spokesperson said: “Tabloid newspapers are an effective way of communicating with people and are used by all political parties. We will be offering training in this instance to ensure that our guidance is understood.”
They also claimed that the Lib Dems were the only party ‘with a clear plan to save and protect local journalism’ from big tech companies, social media and the shift towards online news.