Monday 25 October 2010

It Was A Good Day*

Labour MP Kerry McCarthy this morning on Twitter:


Exceptionally good mood today? Whoops:

The Labour frontbencher Kerry McCarthy has been given a police caution after illegally revealing election results on Twitter.

The Bristol East MP, who was installed as the party's "Twitter tsar" by the former leader Gordon Brown, used the social networking site to give details of postal votes in April.

She boasted to thousands of followers that an early batch showed Labour receiving far more support in her constituency than the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats – providing figures to back up her claim.

But after a string of replies pointing out that it was against the law to disclose general election results before the final 6 May count, McCarthy removed the post, admitting she had been "thoughtless".

Section 66 of the 1983 Representation of the People Act forbids "any statement relating to the way in which voters have voted at the election" before polls close.

Ms Twitter tsar has been cautioned due to 'Twitter electoral fraud' resulting in a 'criminal record':

A simple caution is not a criminal conviction, but it will be recorded on the police database. It may be used in court as evidence of bad character, or as part of an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) application.

The record will remain on the police database along with photographs, fingerprints and any other evidence taken.
Priceless.

*Ice Cube

2 comments:

  1. Why the "and any other evidence taken" comment?

    Did she have to give a DNA sample like us innocent uncharged folk?

    ReplyDelete
  2. @WfW You wouldn't climb over me then to ...?

    @Anon Home Office advice, but not sure if she has to. As she is an MP I suspect not.

    ReplyDelete