Conservative council candidate suspended over ‘Labour delivers hepatitis’ leaflet
2 min read
A Conservative council candidate has been suspended after handing out leaflets accusing Labour of spreading hepatitis at a local hospital.
Kamran Razzaq, who is standing in the Dudley council elections this Thursday sent the leaflet out to voters in his Cradley and Wallescote ward.
The bizarre election pamphlet was uncovered by a Conservative parliamentary aide who tweeted it out to followers, saying: “I don’t want to embarrass the party, but a Conservative candidate has sent a leaflet out saying the Labour Party have spread hepatitis in the area… Wtf.”
It is believed that the leaflet refers to an outbreak at a local school situated within the Labour-held ward.
But a Conservative party spokesperson confirmed this morning that Mr Razzaq had been dumped by the party two days before polls open.
“Kamran Razzaq has been suspended and an investigation is underway,” they said.
Christian Calgie, who works for the party in Westminster, defended the outing of his Conservative colleague, saying: “The reason I share it is that often in politics, embarrassment is one surefire way to get a party to act.”
And he slammed Conservative central office for leaving things to be quality checked by “nutters in local associations."
Mr Calgie welcomed the suspension, saying: “It proves the effectiveness of certain lobbying techniques to affect change.”
A West Midlands Labour spokesperson accused Mr Razzaq of "dog-whistle politics".
"It's right that the Tories have suspended this person. Dog-whistle politics that seeks to create hate and division has no place in our society," they said.
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