DISHONEST
Conservative candidate, Gordon Henderson, has called on Derek Wyatt to issue an apology following the claim by his Labour rival that he had saved Sheerness swimming pool.
Gordon said:
‘I know it is customary at election time for some candidates to over exaggerate their achievements, however, the Labour candidate’s election literature is about as truthful as Mr Blair’s dodgy dossier, which alleged that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction!
‘Not only has Mr Wyatt claimed responsibility for Sheppey’s new bridge, the build programme for which started two years before he was elected, and Sheppey’s new hospital, which was in the local health trust’s plans before the 1997 election, but he even has the gall to claim that he saved our swimming pool.
‘That particular claim is quite outrageous and belittles the hard work of those people who did so much to highlight the pool’s plight, including the Sheerness Times Guardian which was one of the prime movers behind the campaign and which raised a 10,000 signature petition.
‘It is particularly ironic that Mr Wyatt is claiming saving the pool as a Labour Party success, because it was Conservative controlled Swale Borough Council that gave the campaigners a sympathetic hearing and managed to find the money in its capital budget to pay for the repairs.
‘Mr Wyatt’s claims are not only dishonest, but are an insult to the intelligence of Islanders and I believe he should withdraw the claims immediately and apologise for his actions.’
…ends…