14 April 2023 , 11:57
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Bungling Tories have sent out election leaflets boasting they have left areas “debt ridden”.
Council candidates have been delivering election literature printed with the surprise admission ahead of next month’s vote.
The leaflets say local Conservative councillors’ achievements include taking their areas “from debt free to debt ridden”.
The embarrassing gaffe has appeared on several different versions of the leaflet used by candidates across South Ribble, Lancashire.
A Labour source said: “The Tories have more than doubled Britain’s national debt – so it’s great to see them finally being open about it.
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“They crashed the economy and the public is picking up the tab – with high prices and the biggest tax burden in 70 years.
The Conservative election leaflet boasts that councillors have made areas 'debt ridden'“It’s about time the Conservatives backed Labour’s plan to freeze council tax funded by a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants – to put money back in people’s pockets.”
Voters will go to the polls on May 4. In total, 8,141 council seats are up for grabs in 230 councils across England.
The Conservatives are expected to suffer losses as they are punished by the electorate for their botched running of the country.
The party’s campaign has been hit by a series of mistakes.
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The Mirror revealed earlier this week its candidates include an ex-BNP member who wrote vile messages about Meghan Markle.
Andrew McBride has been suspended by the party but it is too late to remove him from the ballot paper where he will be listed as standing for the Conservatives.
He was selected as a candidate in Bracknell for next month’s local elections despite previously working as a regional organiser for the BNP.
The Mirror has launched our Get ID, Get a Vote campaign to raise awareness of the need for identification at the local elections - and encourage people who do not have ID to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.
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The Government's new policy means people must not only be registered to vote but also take a form of ID such as a passport or driving licence when they head to their local polling station on May 4.
It has been branded "expensive" and "unnecessary" by Labour and sparked concern among electoral reform campaigners who say it could make it harder for some voters to cast their ballot.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has voiced fears that electoral staff will be "overwhelmed" on polling day as they grapple with "the biggest change to in-person voting in 150 years".
Anyone without the correct identification needs to apply for a voter authority certificate (VAC) by April 25.
Around one in four voters do not know that photo ID is required for the local elections despite the looming deadline, according to the Electoral Commission.
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