February 1st, 2021.

Lewes District Council Conservatives release:


Green Party supporters in East Sussex have been called out for deliberately disregarding an order from central Government about campaigning during the current lockdown.

"The advice from central government is quite clear and has been disseminated by both Labour and Conservative party headquarters to local volunteers", says Cllr Isabelle Linington who's the Conservative Group Leader on Lewes District Council.

"We had complaints from residents about political leafleting and campaigning during the pandemic restrictions", she added. "So I was totally amazed to watch as a Green leaflet was pushed through my door."

When challenged, the gentleman professed not to know about the Minister's letter saying deliveries should not take place, and said he thought legal advice was that they could.

"And then, blow me, in the offending leaflet there's a story about two senior members of the ruling coalition running Lewes District Council about the visit to a project in Plumpton", adds Cllr Linington. "It beggars belief! Surely, when we are all told to 'Stay At Home", our elected representatives should be leading by example and not making politically-motivated visits for purely publicity purposes. This is neither work nor essential travel, I would venture to suggest."

The criticism follows a recent directive by Dorset Police assistant chief constable, Sam de Reya, that there was “no exemption” to allow the Greens [or any Party] to deliver material door-to-door and that they “could be breaching legislation”.

The Cabinet Office said, in a widely-circulated letter last month, that doorstep campaigning was "neither essential nor necessary" and went against the spirit of the "stay at home" order in force.