Parish council under pressure after claims of 'electioneering'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A Lib Dem councillor in Oldham has lodged a complaint about a parish council's majority party amid a row over a newsletter ahead of the local elections.

Councillor Howard Sykes described the pamphlet, due to be circulated in Shaw and Crompton, as 'clear electioneering'. Shaw and Crompton parish withdrew the 12-page newsletter and cancelled a series of consultation events after Coun Sykes threatened to report the parish to the electoral commission and police.

Independent councillors, who lead by majority at the parish, maintain there was 'no wrongdoing'. READ MORE: Ancoats' new affordable flats are in one of its oldest buildings - we took a look inside During the pre-election period, known as purdah, local authorities - including parish councils - are prohibited from publishing material that is 'politically contentious', or which mentions or pictures candidates directly involved in upcoming elections.

This is to avoid influencing how the public votes. The newsletter, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, did not campaign for one particular party, but did feature images and quotes from two independent candidates.