CONSERVATIVE London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has been accused of playing a “heartless, cheap trick” on voters by sending out campaign flyers made to look like official warnings from Sadiq Khan’s office that their Council Tax will be raised unless they “take action”.
“If you do not take action, your mayoral council tax will rise by 21.2%”, the letter, branded with a fake coat of arms bearing the words “City Hall” states.
The letter falsely claims that London’s mayor is “set to” increase his share of the council tax, raising the overall cost. It then urges voters to sign an online petition to “Stop Khan’s Council Tax Hike”.
Sharing photos of the letter on Twitter, Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Luisa Porritt said: “This is a heartless, cheap trick to play at a time so many Londoners are worried sick about making ends meet.”
Tweeting directly at Mr Bailey, she said: “You should apologise immediately for the distress your act of desperation will cause. This is inappropriate behaviour from someone standing for Mayor.”
Mr Bailey’s campaign defended the flyer campaign, in a statement to The Independent, with a spokesperson saying that “Londoners have a right to know the full facts. And the fact is Sadiq Khan’s planning to hike his share of council tax…”
Mr Khan, at a recent Mayor’s Question Time, would not rule out raising council tax, but suggested that it would only be necessary to fill a TfL funding gap which central government has not plugged.
Bailey has also been accused on Twitter of sending leaflets that resembled the Transport for London design.
