Dodgy Leaflets - Part 1
Posted on October 27th, 2009 by Dave Luckett
This lovely Liberal Democrat bar chart has been doing the rounds in Caversham (and no doubt in the rest of Reading and Wokingham as well). It quite clearly tells us that the Liberal Democrats are in with a chance being economical with the truth.
A couple of questions come out of this chart:
- The bar chart quite clearly says 40%, 29%, 21%, so why is it that the Lib Dem bar appears to be completely out of proportion with the Conservative and Labour ones?
- Why are they using 2007 local election results? I can understand not using the 2009 European election results as the Libs scraped in with 4th place just beating UKIP and being squeezed significantly by the Conservatives in wards where they have Councillors. But we did have local elections in 2008 did we not, or is my memory deceiving me?
It all reminds me of this bar chart (based on on a selected house in Reading, not my own!):
Update: The Lib Dems have now admitted the bar chart was a “cartoon representation”. So that’s alright then, I wonder if they’ll admit the articles are also a “cartoon representation”.
Filed under: Local Politics
what about the claim about if the win in loddon was repeated across Reading east then the libs would win?
John - can’t argue with that. If my result when I got elected was repeated across the whole country then the Conservatives would hold every seat. Probably not going to happen though is it?
This is their woodley leaflet, note also 2007.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk19/adrianwindisch/LDwoodleygraph200910.jpg
The subtext is that they think they can come second in Rdg East, so talk up their chances. Winning here…
At the Norwich by election many parties managed to use a different graph for the same election, each hoping to make the bast case. the LD used the whole country as their local result was so poor.
Aren’t they wonderfully, consistently, predictably, endlessly RIDICULOUS and TWISTED!
You have to laugh!
The LD have responses to this here
http://glenngoodall.mycouncillor.org.uk/2009/10/28/bloody-bar-charts/
Adrian You seem to be doing a good job for the tories coming up with all their ripostes. Keep it up good man. Sounds like you have little time for them apart from exposing their silly tactics. Myself, rather concentrate on positive activism as opposed to watching that lot make fools of themselves. As for Loddon, it was actually Loddon Airfield, a ward within a ward. How ridiculous can this get. Am sure tories watching carefully but doubt whether they will lose lots of sleep over it.
jazz02 I am deeply unimpressed with dodgy bar charts, regardless of which party has produced them.
If you look at my blog, http://greenreading.blogspot.com/ you will see it is mostly positive. As are my leaflets, with no dodgy graphics.