By-elections - the political blood sport

It's not been a good week in cyberspace for Ben Abbotts, Beckenham councillor and Liberal Democrat candidate in the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election. Guidoe Fawkes looks at Lib Dem Bromley Ben's Shady Secret noting that on the Lib Dem campaign website there is "no mention anywhere that he is a spin merchant".

Even by the low standards of spin-merchants his employers LLM are considered to be among the sleaziest, infamous for being founded by New Labour insiders who offered (and were caught offering) the prospect of access (for cash) to government ministers. To this day they are known to be the grubbier members of a pretty grubby profession. No wonder he describes himself merely as "a campaigner".
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UPDATE : He apparently describes himself as a "political consultant". No Ben, you are a grubby lobbyist for one of the sleaziest firms in a sleazy business with clients that are unpopular with voters. That is why you hide the truth on your website.

Meanwhile Iain Dale has two posts about hypocrisy in Bromley. The first, More Hypocrisy from LibDems in Bromley looks at the way the Lib Dems are attacking Bob Neill as if elected he would have multiple jobs, yet many Lib Dem MPs and Assembly Members are in a similar situation. (And if Abbotts were elected he would have three jobs, even if he doesn't want to admit to one of them.) Then in Even More LibDem Hypocrisy in Bromley looks at the way they're attacking Bob Neil for not living in Bromley and Chislehurst. Ben Abbotts lives in Beckenham. (And Bob Neil has said that if elected he will move to Bromley and Chislehurst. Ben Abbotts has made no such pledge.)

Truly by-elections are the political blood sport.