Oldham Evening Chronicle - Wednesday, 06 April, 2005
Computer misuse claim against
candidate Dawson.
THE Liberal Democrat candidate aiming to topple Oldham MP
Phil Woolas is at the centre of a Parliamentary inquiry, the Chronicle can
exclusively reveal today.
The Commissioner for Standards is investigating whether Tony Dawson was wrongly
funded by the taxpayer and misused a computer as a full-time MP’s assistant in
Southport.
The complaint, by a Southport constituent, follows a bitter falling-out between
cross-party campaigners against the closure of the casualty department at a
local children’s hospital.
Mr Dawson insisted the allegations had no serious substance and confidently
predicted the independent commissioner would throw them out. But the inquiry
will be a major embarrassment to the Liberal Democrats, who are aiming to
overturn Mr Woolas’s slender 2,725 majority in the Oldham East and Saddleworth
seat.
And with Tony Blair calling the General Election yesterday, the inquiry will be
put on hold unless it is completed by the time Parliament is dissolved tomorrow.
The complaint has been made against Southport MP John Pugh, but concerns the
activities of Mr Dawson as a contributor to an online chatroom dedicated to
saving the A&E department.
The internet service provider barred Mr Dawson from the chatroom, after a series
of messages that fellow contributors complained were offensive.
In one exchange, Mr Dawson wrote: “Which dumb, helpless animals would you like
us to abuse besides donkeys? Abuse a donkey or two for me in an imaginative way,
won’t you.”
The complaint alleges the aide wrongly sent messages while he was being funded,
by the taxpayer, to carry out parliamentary work and on equipment provided for
that purpose.
In a letter to the complainant seen by the Chronicle, Mr Dawson said he was
prepared to apologise, but insisted he stood by his comments.
He told the Chronicle he got involved in the campaign as a concerned parent
because his daughter lived close to the hospital.
The complainant was dragging up the issue again, according to Mr Dawson, having
failed to put together a legal case for defamation — and after spurning two
offers to discuss the matter.
He added: “I used my spare time to robustly criticise those who had damaged the
campaign, in the face of a torrent of abuse from an anonymous ally of theirs.
“This is a very old story with no serious substance. I fully anticipate that the
Parliamentary Commissioner will confirm that there is nothing to answer.”
Mr Woolas said: “This man is an aspiring MP but, as a staff member for an MP, he
engaged in abusive language on a public forum. It’s not the behaviour the public
should expect.”
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Oldham Evening Chronicle - Tuesday, 12 April, 2005
Dawson inquiry ditched
A PARLIAMENTARY inquiry surrounding the conduct of an Oldham
candidate has been thrown out. Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir Philip
Mawer has decided there is no evidence that Southport MP John Pugh broke the
code of conduct for members.
The complaint against the Liberal Democrat concerned his assistant Tony Dawson,
who is standing against Labour’s Phil Woolas in the marginal Oldham East and
Saddleworth seat. It claimed that Mr Dawson, as MP’s assistant, wrongly sent
messages to a chatroom dedicated to saving a children’s hospital while he was
being funded by the taxpayer for parliamentary work, and on equipment provided
for that purpose.
The Internet provider barred Mr Dawson from the chatroom after a series of
messages fellow contributors felt were offensive.
Mr Mawer’s spokesman confirmed a preliminary investigation had been carried out.
She said: “The primary issue for the commissioner was whether Dr John Pugh had
broken the code of conduct for members. The evidence available suggests that the
answer to this was no.”
Mr Dawson said that he had been exonerated. He claimed the complaint had been
brought by a former Labour candidate.
He added: “It is clear that my political opponents will stoop to any depths in
order to avoid the pressing political issues of this area, in what is the
closest parliamentary contest between Labour and Liberal Democrats in England.
“I have been subject in past months to a sustained set of personal attacks in
the local press by both Labour and Conservative opponents, not one of which has
come to any fruition.”
CARES position on this state of affairs