Daily Mirror Northern Edition May 4th 2005

Southport Champion 28th July 2004 and 4th August 2004

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Wednesday, 06 April, 2005
Computer misuse claim against candidate Dawson.
THE Liberal Democrat candidate aiming to topple Oldham MP Phil Woolas is at the centre of a Parliamentary inquiry, the Chronicle can exclusively reveal today.
The Commissioner for Standards is investigating whether Tony Dawson was wrongly funded by the taxpayer and misused a computer as a full-time MP’s assistant in Southport.
The complaint, by a Southport constituent, follows a bitter falling-out between cross-party campaigners against the closure of the casualty department at a local children’s hospital.
Mr Dawson insisted the allegations had no serious substance and confidently predicted the independent commissioner would throw them out. But the inquiry will be a major embarrassment to the Liberal Democrats, who are aiming to overturn Mr Woolas’s slender 2,725 majority in the Oldham East and Saddleworth seat.
And with Tony Blair calling the General Election yesterday, the inquiry will be put on hold unless it is completed by the time Parliament is dissolved tomorrow.
The complaint has been made against Southport MP John Pugh, but concerns the activities of Mr Dawson as a contributor to an online chatroom dedicated to saving the A&E department.
The internet service provider barred Mr Dawson from the chatroom, after a series of messages that fellow contributors complained were offensive.
In one exchange, Mr Dawson wrote: “Which dumb, helpless animals would you like us to abuse besides donkeys? Abuse a donkey or two for me in an imaginative way, won’t you.”
The complaint alleges the aide wrongly sent messages while he was being funded, by the taxpayer, to carry out parliamentary work and on equipment provided for that purpose.
In a letter to the complainant seen by the Chronicle, Mr Dawson said he was prepared to apologise, but insisted he stood by his comments.
He told the Chronicle he got involved in the campaign as a concerned parent because his daughter lived close to the hospital.
The complainant was dragging up the issue again, according to Mr Dawson, having failed to put together a legal case for defamation — and after spurning two offers to discuss the matter.
He added: “I used my spare time to robustly criticise those who had damaged the campaign, in the face of a torrent of abuse from an anonymous ally of theirs.
“This is a very old story with no serious substance. I fully anticipate that the Parliamentary Commissioner will confirm that there is nothing to answer.”
Mr Woolas said: “This man is an aspiring MP but, as a staff member for an MP, he engaged in abusive language on a public forum. It’s not the behaviour the public should expect.”

MP will take legal action over ‘astonishing’ slurs.

LABOUR MP Phil Woolas says he is to sue a local Liberal Democrat councillor and a prospective parliamentary candidate over what he has called "astonishing" slurs.
The government minister is furious about claims made in a press release by the pair – Shaw councillor Rod Blyth and Tony Dawson, the Lib Dem candidate for Mr Woolas’ Oldham East and Saddleworth seat.
The deputy leader of the House of Commons told the Advertiser he has now instructed his solicitors to sue over five claims in the release which he alleges are both false and malicious and were reproduced for public consumption earlier in the week by one local newspaper.
The dispute centres around an appearance Mr Woolas made on a BBC GMR radio show on October 21.
Following his slot on the show, the two Liberal Democrats claimed that he had told the presenter, Allan Beswick, that he could not live on his MPs salary: a statement he denies making and says transcripts of the show back him up.
He said: "People in Oldham are used to the Liberal Democrat’s attacks, but this is well beyond decency. Anybody who knows me will testify that I am not a person who would decry the generous salary that I earn as an MP – indeed I subsidise my constituency work out of my own pocket.
"Perhaps the most astonishing falsehood is the claim that I don’t live in Oldham. Of course, in the week I live in London, that’s where Parliament is, but they cannot criticise my travel allowance and say I don’t live in Oldham."
In response to the threat of legal action, Tony Dawson, who works for Southport Liberal MP John Pugh, admitted he hadn’t heard the radio show.
He said: "This is the first I have heard about Mr Woolas’ intention to sue. I will wait to see what the substance of the five claims actually are before making any further specific comment. I will also be contacting the BBC in order to get a transcript of the Allan Beswick show."
In a press statement, Mr Woolas said that he is also referring Cllr Blyth to the Standards Board for bringing his own office into disrepute and is referring John Pugh MP to the Parliamentary Commissioner on Standards for misuse of his parliamentary allowance in allowing his assistant to work in Oldham and not for the people of Southport.
Cllr Blyth, who is recovering from a recent heart attack, was unavailable to comment.

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Tuesday, 12 April, 2005
Dawson inquiry ditched
A PARLIAMENTARY inquiry surrounding the conduct of an Oldham candidate has been thrown out. Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir Philip Mawer has decided there is no evidence that Southport MP John Pugh broke the code of conduct for members.
The complaint against the Liberal Democrat concerned his assistant Tony Dawson, who is standing against Labour’s Phil Woolas in the marginal Oldham East and Saddleworth seat. It claimed that Mr Dawson, as MP’s assistant, wrongly sent messages to a chatroom dedicated to saving a children’s hospital while he was being funded by the taxpayer for parliamentary work, and on equipment provided for that purpose.
The Internet provider barred Mr Dawson from the chatroom after a series of messages fellow contributors felt were offensive.
Mr Mawer’s spokesman confirmed a preliminary investigation had been carried out. She said: “The primary issue for the commissioner was whether Dr John Pugh had broken the code of conduct for members. The evidence available suggests that the answer to this was no.”
Mr Dawson said that he had been exonerated. He claimed the complaint had been brought by a former Labour candidate.
He added: “It is clear that my political opponents will stoop to any depths in order to avoid the pressing political issues of this area, in what is the closest parliamentary contest between Labour and Liberal Democrats in England.
“I have been subject in past months to a sustained set of personal attacks in the local press by both Labour and Conservative opponents, not one of which has come to any fruition.”

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Tuesday, 19th April, 2005
*Dawson facing election probe* Hillside Cottage in Dobcross — empty
HISTORY could be made today as the nomination papers of an Oldham General Election candidate are challenged at a special hearing.
Just hours before nominations are due to close for the forthcoming May 5 election, a Labour Party agent questioned the validity of Liberal Democrat candidate Tony Dawson’s papers.
Mr Dawson, the party’s candidate in Oldham East and Saddleworth, who works as as a consumer advocate, is also assistant to Southport Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh.
According to guidance notes given to all candidates and agents, the nomination paper must have the person’s full name as it appears on their birth certificate and their current home address written in full.
However, Joe Fitzpatrick, election agent for Labour candidate Phil Woolas, believes Mr Dawson has not completed the form correctly, using the name Tony, which he is known as rather than David Anthony as it appears on his birth certificate.
He also claims that Mr Dawson has never lived at Hillside Cottage, Nicker Brow, Dobcross — the address given on his nomination papers.
The house, which is owned by Mr Dawson’s election agent, Councillor Mike Buckley, has been empty since the last tenant died. And neighbours confirmed that the house has been unoccupied for around three years.
When a Chronicle photographer went to the house this morning, she found all the windows whitewashed.
This morning, a Labour Party representative handed over documentation questioning the validity of Mr Dawson’s papers to Returning Officer and the chief executive of Oldham Council, Andrew Kilburn.
In the 11th hour meeting, Mr Kilburn was expected to make an immediate decision on whether the nomination papers would be accepted or deemed invalid.
If the invalid claim is upheld by Mr Kilburn, the Liberal Democrats will be faced with the difficult decision of either choosing another candidate before today’s 4pm deadline or ensuring Mr Dawson completes another set of nomination papers with his correct details.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “Tony Dawson is on the electoral register at a house in Dobcross but we know he doesn’t live there.
If he uses that address on his nomination papers, we are asking the Returning Officer Andrew Kilburn to adjudicate on the validity of his nomination.” Mr Dawson currently appears on two electoral registers — one in Southport as David A Dawson and one in Oldham East as Tony Dawson.
He has already received his postal vote in Southport and the Labour Party are questioning why, if he says he lives in Oldham,he will be voting in Southport.
Criminal proceedings could follow if the Crown Prosecution Service decide that by completing incorrect details the candidate or his agent have committed fraud.

Oldham Advertiser
Election thrown into chaos
THE result of the marginal Oldham East and Saddleworth seat could face a legal challenge after Liberal Democrat candidate Tony Dawson’s nomination form was disputed by Labour during a day of high drama.
Acting returning officer Andrew Kilburn has confirmed that the nomination form submitted on Dawson’s behalf was valid “on its face” - in other words it is consistent with information in the electoral register.
But a council statement added that the returning officer has no authority to determine whether other particulars on the nomination form are correct and Kilburn also acknowledged to the Advertiser that the result of the ward election could be challenged.
“It would be for the courts to decide following the election should it be brought to their attention by an election petition,” he said.
Joe Fitzpatrick, agent for sitting Labour MP Phil Woolas, disputed Dawson’s candidacy on the grounds that, by law, nomination forms must state a candidate’s name as it appears on their birth certificate and provide their current home address.
Dawson’s nomination - which refers to Tony Dawson - differs from his birth certificate, which gives his name as David Anthony Dawson.
Labour also questioned the validity of the home address supplied, which was Hillside Cottage, Nicker Brow, Dobcross. The property has whitewashed windows and bare walls, planks of wood and tools and pots of paint on view inside.
But Dawson, who works as a consumer advocate and is also assistant to Southport MP John Pugh, hit back alleging a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign.
He said he had been living in one room of the house for the past three months and that neighbours would rarely see him as he commutes and often visited late at night.
He said: “This is a distraction from politics. The Liberal Democrats are clearly challenging Labour on all the issues and they want to talk about anything except the government’s record.”
Phil Woolas said: “What is clear is that the address on the nomination is an empty house. Conservative and Labour members of parliament alike are united in their distrust of Liberal Democrats who play the local card when they are no such thing. On this occasion they have been hoist with their own petard.
“The returning officer’s legal advice was that he cannot throw the nomination out, however he or any member of the public can ask for the matter to be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Wednesday, 20 April, 2005
Police check on Dawson nomination

POLICE are investigating an allegation that the Liberal Democrat candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth put false information on his nomination papers.
Tony Dawson, who is standing in one of the country’s key marginal seats, faces the police probe after Labour Party agent Joe Fitzpatrick challenged his nomination papers.
He claims Mr Dawson did not fill in his proper details including his full name and the correct address where he lives.
But Mr Dawson has defended his actions saying that he does live at Hillside Cottage, Nicker Brow, Dobcross and the name that he is known by is Tony not David.
Guidance notes issued by the Electoral Commission and given to all candidates clearly state that the form must include the candidate’s full name not the name which they are known by. It also says that the address given must be the candidate’s current home address.
Yesterday, acting returning officer Andrew Kilburn said that Mr Dawson’s nomination form had been accepted as being correct “on the face” — in other words it is consistent with information on the electoral register.
Mr Kilburn added: “I have no authority to determine whether other particulars on the nomination form are correct.”
Mr Dawson explained that although the name that appears on his birth certificate is David Anthony he did not know that when he was growing up.
He said: “I only found that out in adult life as I have always been known as Tony. My father registered my birth and without my mother’s knowledge, he registered my name as David. I was never called by that name growing up. Tony is my given name and that which I am know by so I filled that in on my nomination papers.”
He also denied the allegation that he does not live at Hillside Cottage which has whitewashed window and no furniture in it.
He said: “I am living in one room at the house while the rest of the house is being renovated. I am a single man and come and go so it is possible that neighbours have not seen me at the house.”
He also accused the Labour Party of dirty tricks adding, “This is the fourth occasion in the last six months when the Labour Party has tried to damage my reputation. I hope that now we can concentrate on the forthcoming election.”
The Representation of the People Act states that a candidate must submit true information about his/her name and address and if they do not, they are liable to prosecution. The offence carried a jail sentence of up to 12 months and/or a fine.
Sgt Terry Broome, of Oldham Police’s electoral fraud unit, confirmed that he has received the documentation and is investigating the matter.

Rochdale Observer - Wednesday, 27th April, 2005
Lib Dems make 'dirty tricks' claim - published 27 April
POLICE are investigating Milnrow and Newhey’s Lib Dem candidate Tony Dawson over alleged irregularities on his nomination papers.
But Mr Dawson has accused Oldham East and Saddleworth Labour MP, Phil Woolas and his agent, Joe Fitzpatrick, of carrying out a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign against him.
It has been alleged that Mr Dawson has not completed his form correctly by saying that he lives in a house in Dobcross, which, in fact, is empty and  by using the name Tony, when the names David Anthony appear on his birth certificate. Mr Dawson has also been accused of being on two electoral registers – in Southport and in Oldham East.
An Oldham Council spokesman said: “The file submitted by Labour Party agent Joe Fitzpatrick has been handed to Greater Manchester Police.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed that they were investigating the matter.
But Mr Dawson is adamant that he lives in the house in Dobcross. He told the Observer: “I am a tenant of that property. Just like Mr Woolas, I am registered in two places and pay council tax in two places. They have chosen to blow this up and it is one of a series of personal attacks against me. I do live in that house in Dobcross.
“The windows have been whitewashed because there is building work being done on it. I have lived there for the past three months.”
He accused the local Labour Party of stopping Lib Dem councillors from delivering his leaflets. “I think there will be dirty tricks in the campaign, but I will be fighting it on the issues not on all sorts of tittle-tattle.”
Mr Dawson said although his name may be on two electoral lists, he had moved from Southport to Dobcross. Students and MPs, he said, automatically had two homes.
But Mr Woolas was sticking to his guns. He said: “If he is living in Dobcross it comes as a great surprise to his neighbours, who say the house is empty and the windows whitewashed.
“It is an open secret in the village that he is not living there. The house belongs to his agent. He is using the house as a convenient address. I think he is hoisted by his own petard. He is digging himself deeper and deeper into trouble.
“Clearly, the returning officer thinks there is something worth investigating, otherwise he would not have passed the matter on to the police. If he has been living in that house, he has been sleeping on floorboards.”

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Thursday, 28 April, 2005
Poll-fraud probe clears Lib-Dem
A POLICE investigation into election fraud has exonerated a Liberal Democrat candidate of any wrongdoings.
Tony Dawson, who is standing in one of the country’s key marginal seats, was investigated after Labour Party agent Joe Fitzpatrick challenged his nomination papers.
He claimed that Mr Dawson did not complete the form correctly, using the name Tony, by which he is known, rather than David Anthony, as it appears on his birth certificate.
He also claimed that Mr Dawson has never lived at Hillside Cottage, Nicker Brow, Dobcross — the address given on his nomination papers.
However, Mr Dawson refuted the allegations, defending his actions saying that he does live at Hillside Cottage and the name that he is known by is Tony, not David. Guidance notes issued by the Electoral Commission and given to all candidates clearly state that the form must include the candidate’s full name not the name by which they are known. It also says that the address given must be the candidate’s current home address.
After investigating the complaint, Sgt Terry Broome, of Oldham police, confirmed that no action would be taken against the Oldham East and Saddleworth candidate.
He added: “The allegations made against Tony Dawson have been investigated. I have spoken to Mr Dawson about the issues and sought legal advice on the same. No offences have been revealed and no further action will be taken.”
Mr Dawson said he spent some of his time in Southport where his daughter lives.
He rents the Dobcross property, where building work is ongoing, and stayed there after late meetings, and more often during the election campaign.
He said: “This is the third in a series of baseless allegations put to different people by the Labour Party.
“They are avoiding confronting the issues. It is just another complaint in a series of personal attacks.
“It is consistently trivialising politics.”

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Friday, 6th May, 2005
Woolas heads Labour sweep
THE Labour flag continues to fly over Oldham this morning as the party prepares for an historic third term in power.
All three candidates successfully defended their seats, and Phil Woolas, a junior minister and staunch supporter of Tony Blair, even bucked the national trend in Oldham East and Saddleworth.
The constituency was a prominent Liberal Democrat target, but he beat off Tony Dawson’s challenge and increased his majority by 864.
Mr Woolas pledged to make Metrolink his priority, while Mr Dawson — who survived a Labour complaint that his Dobcross address was an empty house — said he had become part of the area’s Lib-Dem establishment and was here to stay.
Mr Dawson saw the Liberal Democrat vote cut from 14, 811 to 14,378 and said: “I am very disappointed, we had hoped to win here. It is the outcome of a deliberate and vicious smear campaign against me.”
The 50-year-old denied that that the failure of any top-ranking Lib-Dems to visit Oldham during the campaign was because they did not support him.
“We had a discussion early on in our campaign with our campaign committee. We felt on balance we would rather spend our time working with the people than doing media stunts.
“We brought the policies to the people and we won every debate we had,” he said.

Oldham Evening Chronicle - Friday, 6th May, 2005
Police probe allegation of postal vote fraud
POLICE and Oldham Council are investigating a new allegation of election fraud involving the theft of a couple’s postal ballot.
Kathleen Szulc (59), from Uppermill, was unable to vote yesterday at a Saddleworth polling station after being told she was marked down as having done so by post — despite never receiving her ballot form.
Her vote appears to have been illegally used by someone else.
Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Knowles, who accompanied Mrs Szulc and her husband, Frank (79), to the polling station, said someone had stolen her vote.
“Something has gone wrong. Whether it was just a human error I don’t know but at least one of these two votes has been used fraudulently.
“It isn’t something that I never thought would happen. Vote stealing is a serious issue.”
Oldham Council’s Chief Executive, Andrew Kilburn, acting returning officer, said: “Given the way it was reported to us we have concerns about the use of both votes and we are talking to the police at the moment about them.”
Supt Martin Bottomley confirmed that officers were working with the council to confirm whether or not Mr and Mrs Szulc’s votes had been fraudulently cast.

Manchester Evening News Friday 6th May 2005
But Mr Dawson, who came second after polling 14,378, said the Labour party had fought a rough and highly personal campaign. He said: "There has been a lot of mud-slinging. We have tried to fight on the policies and they've tried to fight the person.
"We have been fighting fair - fighting on the issues. It's very sad. That's the sort of campaign people want, but it's not what they've been given."
His campaign was hit hard by Labour claims that he had put false details on his nomination papers, but police cleared him of wrong doing after an investigation.
On polling day Mr Dawson contacted the police to complain about statements allegedly made by Labour about him during the election.