Phil Woolas

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On 28 May 2010, Woolas's Liberal Democrat opponent, Elwyn Watkins, issued an election petition against the result [33] [34] under section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, [35] [36] [37] which makes it illegal to make false statements of fact about a candidate. Watkins claimed that leaflets issued by Woolas falsely portrayed Watkins as taking unlawful foreign donations, and linked him to Islamist extremists. [38]

During the court case, held in public at Saddleworth Civic Hall, a number of emails between Woolas and his campaign team emerged. In one, Woolas's agent and former Labour councillor Joseph Fitzpatrick emailed Woolas and Steven Green, the MP's campaign adviser, to say: "Things are not going as well as I had hoped ... we need to think about our first attack leaflet." [39] A reply from Fitzpatrick said: "If we don’t get the white vote angry he's gone." [40]

During the course of the court case, both Woolas and Fitzpatrick were cautioned by the presiding judge in respect of possible criminal charges relating to election offences. The court hearing finished in September 2010. [41] On 5 November 2010, the court ruled that Woolas breached section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, [42] and ordered a fresh election for the seat to be held. [43] [44] In a statement released through his lawyer, Woolas stated that "this election petition raised fundamental issues about the freedom to question and criticise politicians" and that it "will inevitably chill political speech". [45]

Woolas applied for a judicial review into the ruling, [46] but as the Labour Party withdrew its support he had to finance it himself, and he started to ask for donations. [47] The High Court rejected his request for a judicial review. [48] Woolas launched a second judicial review, technically a renewed application for permission to seek judicial review, and was heard in person at the High Court on 16 November 2010. [49] [50] The judges' decision took longer than expected, with them saying that there were "difficult questions to resolve". [51]

Following the initial court result, Woolas received goodwill messages from former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown and from Cherie Blair, wife of former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair. Labour MP Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton) was vocally supportive and criticised Harman and the party for suspending Woolas. [52]

A decision on this second request was published on 3 December 2010. [53] Woolas was accompanied to court by the Labour Shadow Health Secretary John Healey. [54] The court granted Woolas permission to bring judicial review and that review overturned one of the three breaches of the section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 found by the Election Court. The other two breaches stood: "this does not affect the certificate as the findings of an illegal practice in relation to the other two matters cannot be impugned". [53] On leaving court, Woolas said, "It is the end of the road – I am out." [55] He lost his seat in the House of Commons [56] A by-election to elect a new MP for his former seat was held on 13 January 2011, [57] in which the new Labour candidate, Debbie Abrahams, defeated Elwyn Watkins.

After the review ruling, a Labour spokesman said, "The Labour Party administratively suspended Phil Woolas after the original judgment of the election court. Following the conclusion of this judicial review, the Labour Party will consider this issue in detail and whether further action is appropriate." [58] Although the verdict of the election court indicated a prima facie breach of criminal law, in March 2011 the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it would not bring criminal charges against Woolas as the finding of the Election Court already disqualified him from holding elected office and they felt that this was sufficient punishment. [59] The CPS also declined to prosecute Joseph Fitzpatrick, although as election agent he was responsible for the items deemed to have broken the law; he later stood unsuccessfully in Oldham as a council candidate for UKIP.

After Parliament

Woolas is a director of two organisations – Boothwood Partners, [60] an environmental consultancy, and Wellington Street Partners, [61] a political lobbying partnership originally formed with former MPs Paul Keetch (Liberal Democrat) and Sir Sydney Chapman (Conservative).

Personal life

Woolas is married to events organiser and ex-lobbyist Tracey Jane Allen, former co-director of lobbying firm Morgan Allen Moore. [62] [63]

See also

Notes

  1. Office held jointly at the Home Office and HM Treasury.

References

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  35. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  36. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  37. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  38. "Court examines Labour Muslim slur election leaflet". BBC News . 30 June 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
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  40. Rayner, Gordon (6 November 2010). "Digraced Phil Woolas and the plot to get 'angry white votes'" . The Daily Telegraph.
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  42. "Watkins v Woolas 2010 EWHC 2702 (QB)". British and Irish Legal Information Institute. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  43. Curtis, Polly (5 November 2010). "Phil Woolas immigration leaflets case: high court orders election rerun in Oldham East". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
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  49. "Phil Woolas: I've been humbled by support". Manchester Evening News. 17 November 2010. Archived from the original on 17 November 2010.
  50. Rozenberg, Joshua (16 November 2010). "Phil Woolas faces tough task in latest legal challenge'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
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Phil Woolas
Official photograph of Phil Woolas MP.jpg
Official portrait, 2005
Minister of State for Borders and Immigration [a]
In office
4 October 2008 11 May 2010
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth
1997  5 November 2010
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by President of the National Union of Students
1984–1986
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Borders and Immigration
2008–2010
Succeeded by