Plymouth Plus has obtained exclusive correspondence revealing that the Plymouth Knows Better campaign has been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police over concerns about its connection to the Plymouth Labour Party not being properly disclosed.
The complaint was initially made by a member of the public to Plymouth City Council officials, raising serious questions about transparency in local political campaigning.
The Original Complaint
In correspondence seen by Plymouth Plus, the complainant wrote to council officials stating:
"I note with considerable interest that Plymouth Labour and the Labour Council Group are promoting a 'Plymouth Knows better campaign' online and elsewhere.
"On their website and Facebook page, they are using the imprint 'Promoted on behalf of Plymouth Knows better, Lockyer Hall, Alfred Street, Plymouth.'
"This is factually incorrect and false. It is a clear attempt to misrepresent themselves and lie to the voting public.
"Let's be honest here, Lockyer Hall is Plymouth Labour's registered premises.
"Why then are they hiding that the 'Plymouth Knows Better' campaign and literature is coming from Plymouth Labour?
"Please could you ask the Labour Group to show all due honesty and transparency in this campaign and not mislead the public or the electorate."
Council Response Refers Matter to Police
The response from Plymouth City Council's Electoral Services department, marked "OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE", directed the complainant to police authorities. Council officials replied:
"The Counting Officer has no legal authority to regulate the activities of campaigns, including imprints. The police is responsible in investigating queries on imprints. I have copied in Devon and Cornwall Police."
Questions Over Transparency
The Plymouth Knows Better campaign has been actively opposing giving Plymothians the right to choose their own leader, but the revelation that it operates from the same address as Plymouth Labour Party - Lockyer Hall on Alfred Street - has raised questions about transparency in local political campaigning.
Plymouth Plus investigations confirm that Lockyer Hall is Plymouth Labour's headquarters. The shared address suggests a direct operational link between the anti-mayor campaign and the Plymouth Labour Party, despite the campaign presenting itself as an independent movement.
Plymouth Plus investigations have also confirmed that both Plymouth MPs, Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas, are actively promoting the Plymouth Knows Better anti mayor campaign, with members of the public commenting that the MPs don't appear to spend as much time on other local issues.
Curiously, there is no mention of current Council Leader Tudor Evans anywhere on the Plymouth Knows Better campaign website — despite the links.
Political Implications
This development adds a significant new dimension to the ongoing political tensions in Plymouth ahead of the Mayoral Referendum being held on July 17th. The case highlights potential gaps in electoral law regarding campaign transparency and disclosure requirements.
The complainant's concerns centre on whether voters have a right to know when political campaigns are being run directly by established political parties, particularly when those campaigns present themselves with generic, non-partisan names.
Meanwhile, Mayor for Plymouth, advocates of the mayoral system maintain that a directly elected leader represents Plymouth's best chance for genuine transformation.
They argue that an elected mayor would have the mandate and authority to decisively address long-standing issues such as poverty, economic stagnation and underinvestment - problems they believe have persisted under the existing council leader model currently headed by Tudor Evans.
Plymouth Plus has contacted Devon and Cornwall Police for comment.
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