Green Party criticised for delivering leaflets during lockdown

Last month, Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith outlined how current restrictions ‘do not support door-to-door campaigning or leafleting by individual political party activists’.

In order to reduce transmission of Covid-19, she said it was ‘not considered an essential or necessary activity’.

This week Isabella Linington, the Conservative group leader at Lewes District Council, described being ‘totally amazed’ to see a Green leaflet pushed through her door.

She challenged the man about the current guidelines, but he responded by saying he thought the legal advice was that leafleting could continue.

Cllr Linington, who represents Chailey, Barcombe and Hamsey, also criticised some of the content in the leaflet, specifically an item about Green councillors visiting a project in Plumpton and questioned whether this was work or essential travel.

The leaflet entitled ‘Village Green News’, describing itself as news and views from Green councillors and campaigners, includes items on Covid restrictions, vaccinations and advice, the national census and plans to cut fuel bills for rural homes.

In response, a Green Party spokesman said: “District residents are telling us they need local services more than ever. So we have been distributing information to make sure they know what help is available. We know from experience that some households do not use social media, or rarely go online, while some are not online at all.

“The current edition of our regular community newsletter contains important public health advice relating to Covid and vaccinations, and info on how to access council services for Covid support, as well as other items of local interest. It does not contain party-political propaganda or campaign messages.

“All our information is distributed according to Covid-secure guidelines and in line with the law.

“The project visit by Green councillors to an outdoor site in Plumpton, which Councillor Linington says she was shocked to read about in our newsletter, took place in mid-December 2020, before national lockdown rules came into effect.

“News of the visit was first featured on the district council’s own website on 14 January, but was evidently overlooked by Councillor Linington, despite her being a member of the district council.

“This would seem to confirm our findings that some local residents have difficulty accessing news and information online.”