Southport's Conservative MP Damien Moore has been told he has "questions to answer" over potentially abusing parliamentary funds to push party political messages.

It follows a recent leaflet which the Tory MP sent to constituents which opponents describe as "little more than a series of Tory spin stories".

The leaflet is produced in parliamentary green to denote that it is meant to be about his work in the constituency. Such information is usually paid for out of public funds allocated to MPs and is meant to be non-party political. Opponents, however, say that the MP's recent A3 size pamphlet issued during the current election period has "crossed the line" into blatant Tory party political publicity and is often factually incorrect.

Liz Savage, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Southport explains:

"Damien may claim this leaflet is not party political but it's little more than a series of Tory spin stories. He's got questions to answer, I think we should know who is paying for it? If it is publicly-funded as his staff appear to have confirmed in recent media comments, then why is he pushing party political material in them and getting the tax-payer to foot the bill?

For instance, there are items like his complete twisting of the Linaker Children's Centre story. If his prolonged attack on "Sefton Labour" during that article isn't party-political, I'm not sure what is?

Whatever it is, it's certainly not factual as the centre was not under threat of closure by Sefton as he wrongly states but only a reorganisation of its services and so to claim otherwise is also just blatantly misleading constituents. He then fails to mention that the reorganisation is a direct result of the soon-to-be near quarter of a billion pound funding gap in Sefton's budget caused by his party and the Lib-Dems.

His leaflet also makes claims about a few million pounds coming back to Merseyside Police but it's nothing to do with him and he is simply pushing the Tory line on this. He vaunts this as a "success" while neglecting to mention that it is against the wider backdrop of a £120 million cut in central government funding to Merseyside police by the Tories and Lib-Dems.

Even worse, he once again tries to fool his constituents by failing to reveal the money has not come from this Tory government but is the result of Theresa May forcing the bill onto tax council payers.

Well over £4 million of this £5.2 million came from the recent rise in council tax bills, which the Tories insisted was the only way the money would be made available. Paying more council tax whilst losing one in four police officers from Merseyside's service might be a 'success' in Tory eyes but it certainly isn't for local residents."

He continues to try and hoodwink constituents in the leaflet when, yet again, he attempts to grab credit for the knife wands funding decision when he had no part in it. It was actually made by Sefton Councillor Trish Hardy in her role as Chair of Sefton's Community Safety Partnership and she's already admonished him for his claims as he was not part of the process.

"Cllr Hardy also made clear the money was not from the Home Office as the Toy MP states but came from the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner. It's pretty shameless Tory publicity making on his part but then so is most of the leaflet, which appears to have been paid for with tax-payers' money.

His claim in the leaflet of supporting Southport schools is also rather risible when 92 out of Sefton 93 schools are facing funding cuts and he's just voted against free school meals for over 5,000 of Southport and Sefton's poorest kids.

He has also used multiple pictures of local headteachers but has put the leaflet out during an election period which is a potential breach of the purdah convention and compromise of their position on top of what we believe is the party political aspect to the leaflet and the funding issue.

Damien certainly likes to pop-up for photo ops to grin while others bear it, much like he recently did with the local foodbank, but he should not be using public funds to spread Tory party tittle-tattle and misinformation and if that's the case then he needs to answer for it."

He could well have come a cropper by making stuff up about coppers... and children's centres and knife wands and all sorts of non-existent "successes"... if he's used public funds to pay for this Damien may find his attempt at spin rather costly.

More pintsize whining from Lizzie Dripping. She certainly has a tallent for embroidery with all those "potentially", "may", "perhaps" as she spins out this non-story. Damien sent out a pamphlet that, if I recall, had the word Conservative once in the whole text. Damien's leaftlet was a standard sitting politician's rather boring update to his constituents. Nice of Labour's candidatrix to encourage us to reread it. Red Lizzie is busy running a General Election campaign during a local election period. It's an abuse of process, of course, but Lizzie won't notice that.The Visiter, meanwhile, publishes a weekly uncritical puff piece for the next door Labour MP Bill Esterson safe in the knowledge that Labour will keep placing Council adverts in the group's newspapers.

He is very good at self promotion.

Doesn't actually do anything, hasn't actually achieved anything.

More "blah, blah, blah" from Dav I see, he really will just come out ith any old tosh to defend his Tory chums.... OK, let's explain the significance for him:

It's right that Damien should be questioned about this, Dav implies the leaflet was not party political but it carried an obvious party political attack in it during a local election campaign... THAT is the abuse IF public funds have been used to do so, which is why Damien needs to explain... and his staff appeared to suggest it wasn't a Tory leaflet at the time. Dav seems to think Damien is above such matters, he's not.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

You really will just come out with any old tosh to try to defend your Tory chums Dav, it's quite right that Damien should be questioned about this, you imply it's not party political but it carried an obvious party political attack in it during a local election campaign... THAT is the abuse IF public funds have been used to do so, which is why Damien needs to explain... and his staff appeared to suggest it wasn't a Tory leaflet at the time.

Nice use of the IF there, Gwhizz. Stuff and nonsense dressed up in maybe's and perhaps...

Liz is effectively using local election resources to fight a forthcoming general election. Far more dodgy in my book - as you would expect from Labour. We shouldn't be hearing a peep out of the Skem councillor here in sunny Southport during our local election but she can't help her parasitical behaviour.

Originally Posted by dav

Nice use of the IF there, Gwhizz. Stuff and nonsense dressed up in maybe's and perhaps...

Liz is effectively using local election resources to fight a forthcoming general election. Far more dodgy in my book - as you would expect from Labour. We shouldn't be hearing a peep out of the Skem councillor here in sunny Southport during our local election but she can't help her parasitical behaviour.

... I'd edited that last one, see above. Until there is a reply from Damien of course it is an IF!!!

Every time an MP draws their salary, it’s a misuse of public funds.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

... I'd edited that last one, see above. Until there is a reply from Damien of course it is an IF!!!

Glad to hear you'll take Damien's word. Yeah, right. Meanwhile, the Skem councillor keeps pursuing her Westminster dreams by piggy backing on Sefton local election funding.... Very ethical, I'm sure.

This really makes my point about nahna na nahna politics and why I believe many of the population are turned off by the spectacle.

Ms Savage had an ideal opportunity to hold Mr Moore to account over what she alleges are lies - instead the piece leads on whether or not the 'pamphlet' crosses some poorly defined threshold on funding.
Sticky ground I'd say for any politician in as much as - 'there but for the grace of god go I'

I would much rather see detail on what Labour have done or, perish the thought, what opportunities have been grasped for cross party co-operation on any issues.
Instead we get finger pointing which verges on the pathetic - I wouldn't have been surprised if some of it accused Moore of not bringing any hobnobs and Pugh of using the last of the milk

Oh yes - before Gwhizz et al go all histrionic on me - my concerns and or hopes would prevail whatever the political colour of the organisation, this latest one just happens to derive from Labour.

I think everyone is getting pretty fed up with the continuing vitriol spouted against certain opposition parties which accompanies every photograph published of them. The only party that has not resorted to such depths is the Conservative candidates in Southport. At least the Conservatives focus on action in favour of our town, as opposed to those who appear to think more of justifying their pay than of the incidental town that they are supposed to serve!

Labour should be investigating their own infamous performance by the Joint Council that has affected Southport's economy, before even considering seeking criticism against a comparatively legitimate Conservative operation in Southport.

Originally Posted by said

The only party that has not resorted to such depths is the Conservative candidates in Southport. At least the Conservatives focus on action in favour of our town,

Really? The Conservative candidates appear to be invisible, silent and anonymous. I've seen nor heard no campaigning from any of them.

Originally Posted by said

I think everyone is getting pretty fed up with the continuing vitriol spouted against certain opposition parties which accompanies every photograph published of them. The only party that has not resorted to such depths is the Conservative candidates in Southport. At least the Conservatives focus on action in favour of our town, as opposed to those who appear to think more of justifying their pay than of the incidental town that they are supposed to serve!

Labour should be investigating their own infamous performance by the Joint Council that has affected Southport's economy, before even considering seeking criticism against a comparatively legitimate Conservative operation in Southport.

I think you'll find he's an Independant and not standing for re-election.

Originally Posted by said

I think everyone is getting pretty fed up with the continuing vitriol spouted against certain opposition parties which accompanies every photograph published of them. The only party that has not resorted to such depths is the Conservative candidates in Southport. At least the Conservatives focus on action in favour of our town, as opposed to those who appear to think more of justifying their pay than of the incidental town that they are supposed to serve!

Labour should be investigating their own infamous performance by the Joint Council that has affected Southport's economy, before even considering seeking criticism against a comparatively legitimate Conservative operation in Southport.

Ahhh, Marvin Arbiton is at it again... Marvin stop saying "our town" you are from Chester and live there, you just inhabit Southport sites pushing the Tory message, not the same thing... stop trying to fool people.

Originally Posted by gazaprop

This really makes my point ...
Oh yes - before Gwhizz et al go all histrionic on me - my concerns and or hopes would prevail whatever the political colour of the organisation, this latest one just happens to derive from Labour.

Most amusing to see the potential misuse of public funds just dismissed by the likes of gazaprop... am sure he'd be just as sanguine of this was a Labour MP being asked to explain... and Liz does hold him to account for the content & makes it totally clear about how false it is Gaza old bean, maybe try reading the article?