Do dirty tricks really work? (UPDATED)

Shortly after 8am voters in Crewe received a phone call, according to Tory sources. An automated voice told them that the Tories had lost their name and addresses, and urged them to ring a phone number to find out more. That number was the Conservative's campaign office in Nantwich, used for people wanting lifts to the polling booths. The message - delivered in a voice compared to a Dalek, was:

"From 60022. Received today at 8.07 a.m. Investigation begun - Conservatives sent personal details of local people abroad by mistake. Call 01270 625144 to ask if you were affected - public message Labour."

So they rang. But - Tories insist- they were mostly calling Tory HQ not to complain but to inform them of a Labour dirty tricks operation was underway. If so, it's an early sign things are going badly for Labour.

Comments

[JAMES]

Labour are absolutely disgusting. If i was a voter in this constituency i would be thoroughly hacked off at the government's bullying and negative approach here. its appalling.

[phil]

"The message - delivered in a voice compared to a Dalek"

It sounds like they sent this out by text: if you try to send it to a landline you then get it read out by the Dalek (which comes in a choice of genders! - see http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=24181)

[phil]

Sorry, the link is:

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=24181

[Mike Wood]

Abroad? Wasn't it the Isle of Man?

[Joe]

Labour might have woken some up who are on shift work.

They just don't give a monkey's!

[Matt Wright]

I was telling at a polling station. Many voters were furious with Labour about that automated call. Someone ought to make a list of all the dirty tricks. I had reliable info on several. Labour got their just rewards....big style! Good riddance.

[Sam Moulton]

Are you sure it wasn't a clever double dirty trick by the Tories?

[Jame Gilchrist]

As a labour voter I am disgusted by this sort of behaviour it is petty and childish, whilst I would like to see Labour win this seat I think they deserve to lose it as a lesson on how not to conduct an election campaign, I just hope this is not the shape of things to come.

[A.P. Paratchik]

Comrades, be reasonable. Having set aside our principles by raising taxes for the poorest, we only had the class war card left to play.
But not to worry. Our spokesmen know how to answer every objection, and we have every chance of frightening the cattle vote back to us come the general election, by reminding them how serious it is and using the threat from International Terrorism.

[David Collins]

Another shambolic display from Labour, but through all the dirty election tricks Tamsin Dunwoody still insits that her mother would 'Turn in her grave' due to the election results.

What did you really expect though Tamsin when your party are employing petty tricks such as a Labour phone call trying to skew voter opinion at the last moment out of desperation?

The sooner the conservatives take power the better, with any luck Gordon will save some face and hold an election next year, and if not a vote of no confidence should be called.

Desperation is the word that sums up Labour at the moment, you can see it on the face of Gordon Brown, as he and New Labour are becoming very old, very quickly.

[Cllr Ken Tiwari (independent)]

Dirty politics-or-dirty tricks, they do work, time to time, it all depend on circumstances,
of the politics, I worked very hard for Labour-
party from my schooldays built labour party,
first brown skin british elected oxford city Cllr,
my seat was given to a Lib-Dem traitor for
crossing floor to labour, making majority of
one from Lib-Dem to labour,(it's recorded)in
council record, nu-Labour are gutter politician
i hope, they never return for hundreds years!