Dan Collins, a newly elected Conservative councillor in Plymouth, placed an advertisement that said: “Travellers on the playing field – Conservatives would have taken action to prevent this. Remember the Labour council did nothing, when you vote at the local elections.”
Another advert, placed by Chris Nelson, who was elected police and crime commissioner in Gloucestershire, read: “Too many Travellers have exploited weaknesses in the law to act with impunity within our law-abiding communities.” The advert also noted that “many established Traveller communities were law-abiding”.
A spokesperson for the Traveller Movement said: “Politicians use Gypsies and Travellers as political footballs to gain votes and curry favour among the local electorate. This contributes to a climate of hostility which sees Gypsy and Traveller people used as scapegoats by their local politicians. We remind election candidates they have a duty to represent all of their prospective constituents, including Gypsy and Traveller people.”