Green light to tell porkies
Posted on Feb 13 2008 | Tagged as: Politics, Just no
Labour can’t even be bothered to keep up the pretence of honesty any more:
The public should not expect promises made in Labour Party manifestos to be kept. That was the astonishing claim made by Gordon Brown’s barrister at Brighton County Court in a case brought against him by a member of the UK Independence Party.
Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister, Miss Cecelia Ivimy said that “manifesto pledges are not subject to legitimate expectation.” She was arguing that Gordon Brown had not committed a breach of contract by refusing to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Constitution.
Stuart Bower, a onetime Labour activist who subsequently joined UKIP and who launched the action against the Prime Minister, said later: “To file a defence that says ‘I can be a blatant liar in a manifesto and get away with it’ is utterly mind-boggling.
“We lend politicians power and they should have the decency to keep their promises. Clearly, this is not the way of thinking in the Labour Party.”
Mr Bower was refused leave to proceed with his case.
