Peterborough Liberal Democrats angered after government tells them to stop leafletting

The Lib Dems have been pushing newsletters through letterboxes in Paston and Walton where the party holds all three seats on the city council.

The party said recently that “for many residents their regular local Lib Dem newsletter is how they access important information about their area,” adding: “Now more so than ever in a time where residents are feeling more and more isolated it is important that residents don’t feel abandoned by their local councillors as well. This is even more important for those residents without access to the internet for whom this may be their only source of help.”

Other political parties have stopped delivering newsletters during the current lockdown, and last week Minister of State for the constitution and devolution Chloe Smith said: “Current national lockdown restrictions in England say: ‘You must not leave, or be outside of your home, except where necessary’.

“The Government’s view is that these restrictions do not support door-to-door campaigning or leafleting by individual political party activists.

“It is widely accepted that voters can continue to get campaigning information remotely.

“In order to reduce transmission of Covid-19 infection, door-to-door campaigning at this point in time is therefore not considered essential or necessary activity.”

In response, a Lib Dem spokesperson said: “This change is a clear and brazen attempt by the Tories in Westminster to stop our work to support local residents and to fix the elections in their favour.

“While the regulated election period isn’t due to start until the end of March there is no logic to being allowed to deliver pizza leaflets but nothing that might criticise the record of a government with one of the worst Covid records in the world.

“The Government needs to provide evidence for how campaigning, voting and counting can take place safely leading up to May elections without calling into question the credibility of those elections.

“If the Government cannot guarantee campaigning, voting and counting can be done in a safe way then elections should be postponed.”