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In response the Mayor said: “I think it’s really vital that local councillors keep in touch with local residents to provide evidence on the support that’s available – people suffering domestic abuse, or who can’t access food or who aren’t lonely, and it’s really critical that we provide that information.” WatfordWide News was sent out despite current guidance prohibiting leafleting He added that they were “providing information” similar to how other companies are, specifically examplifying double-glazing and pizza leaflets. Mr Taylor said: “The thing that I find strange about the position of Labour locally is that apparently all those things are fine and safe and provide no Covid risk, but anything from a local councillor that provides information to local residents is somehow a Covid risk. And I’d loved to see the epidemiology that underpins that position.” ....
Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner says he is “mystified” that the Liberal Democrats sent out leaflets despite general lockdown guidance. David Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner, now hopes that the political party can “see sense” and halt the distribution of future leaflets, following the condemnation from both the Conservatives and Labour. Watford’s Liberal Democrats were accused of violating Government lockdown restrictions with advice discouraging door-to-door leafleting as political parties campaign for the May elections. But the Lib Dems defended their recent run of leaflets and a ‘WatfordWide News’ tabloid-styled newsletter, by classing the act as an exempt “voluntary service” that cannot reasonably be undertaken from home. ....
The guidance under lockdown restrictions has prohibited door-to-door leafleting as political parties campaign for the May elections. But these rules – which were applied both during the second lockdown in November and the current lockdown – were broken as leaflets and a ‘WatfordWide News’ tabloid-styled newsletter from the Liberal Democrats continued distribution to Watford residents. With these restrictions imposed, both Watford Labour and the Watford Conservative Association decided to abide by these rules and halt distributions of any campaigning leaflets. Leading Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst however has defended the latest run of newsletters, pointing to the legal advice the national Liberal Democrats party received – which classes leafleting as a “voluntary service” that cannot “reasonably be undertaken from home” and therefore exempt. ....