Phil Woolas ejected from parliament over election slurs

An election court barred Mr Woolas from politics for three years for making false statements against his opponent. Two high court judged ruled that the former immigration minister Phil Woolas lied about his Liberal Democrat opponent during the general elections, in a judgment that is likely to have profound implication for all future campaigns. He loses automatically his seat in the Commans and is barred for three years.  Woolas knowingly misled voters in Oldham East in a desperate bid to stir up religious tensions in the last days of the elections of the election by claiming Watkins had ‘wooed’ Islamic extremists. This is what Elwyn Watkins had claimed about Woolas. He also said that Woolas lied about Watkins’s intention to live in the constituency.

Some will say that Woolas was doing what lots of other politicians have done for years. But I think this is a pretty extreme thing to claim that your opponent is a terrorist supporter. Politics can be very rough especially during campaigns. But this time I think this is beyond rough and tumble. I think it must be a clear fight.  In my opinion it is a bad thing to tell lies about your opponents to get themselves elected.  This judgment does not only affect this campaign but also in the future. This is also a warning for all politicians that they have to be very careful about what they saying about their opponents.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/05/phil-woolas-ejected-parliament-election