Eastleigh Conservatives invent a Mori poll in latest Tory dirty trick

2.27.42pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th May 2005

The local Conservatives were accused today of more dirty tricks in the Eastleigh constituency after the polling organisation MORI exploded Tory claims that their poll showed a swing to the Conservatives.

The Conservatives' last minute tabloid newspaper headlined a claimed MORI poll showing "a strong swing" that would make the Tory "Eastleigh's next local MP".

The first paragraph of the Conservative newspaper in full says: "A MORI poll taken after David Chidgey announced that he is to retire at this election shows there has been a strong swing which could see local man Conor Burns elected as Eastleigh's next local MP".

Following a query from Liberal Democrat agent for Eastleigh, Anders Hanson, MORI chief executive Brian Gosschalk issued the following statement: "This is to confirm that MORI have not undertaken a recent political poll in the Eastleigh constituency".

"This sort of misleading nonsense, combined with the torrent of personal attacks and negative campaigning from the Conservatives, just brings the Tories into disrepute. How can you believe anything in a Tory leaflet when they just make up things like this?" said Mr Hanson.

"It just shows how rattled the Tories are by Chris Huhne's campaign and track record as a successful local politician" said Mr Hanson.

This latest Tory "dirty trick" follows a trail of other examples including the attempt by Winchester Tory George Hollingbery to divert people looking at his Lib Dem rival's website onto his own. He registered Lib Dem Mark Oaten's domain name as his own.

In Dorset, local Tories doctored photographs to superimpose new slogans onto them at variance with the originals. And in Surrey, the Conservative immigration spokesman told his white constituents that he would get tough on immigration while telling his Asian constituents that he had a proud record of helping family members into the country.