[DanaC]

Whoops

Tory councillor accidentally sent details of 'smear plot' to intended targets

A Tory councillor tried to persuade party colleagues to join him in a smear campaign against local domestic violence services and women’s rights campaigners, a leaked email shows.

Scott Harris, a Conservative member of Portsmouth council, wrote in the email that he had been compiling information on a number of political opponents operating in the city before council elections.

He singles out Aurora New Dawn, a local domestic violence support charity, and its chief executive, Shonagh Dillon, as well as a local chapter of the feminist group Sisters Uncut, who have been critical of council plans for drastic cuts to domestic violence services.

However, they and others named by Harris received the email after it was mistakenly sent out in a chain. The message says: “The elections are coming and the politics are dirty. The tricks by the Lib Dems, the lies and the smear are disgusting.

"Quite frankly it might be a good idea to play dirty this time. I know we shouldn’t go down to their gutter politics but should we continue to stand by and allow this to go on?

“I’m also compiling some stuff on Shonagh Dillion [sic], Aurora New Dawn and Sisters Uncut. Interestingly I’ve found some stuff on [local socialist activist] Jon Woods and the SWP locally which will be useful when the loony left come calling nearer May.”

Read the rest here:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...ear-portsmouth