In an exclusive interview for Croydon Radio to be broadcast on Sunday, one of the candidates for the Croydon North by-election admits that his campaign is relying on social media – Twitter and Facebook primarily – to get his message across before the November 29 vote.
Lee Jasper, candidate for “Respect (George Galloway)” – as his party name will appear on the ballot paper, complete with the name of the Bradford West MP who is managing his campaign – uses the interview to speak frankly about his own “trial by media” over allegations of misconduct during his time working at City Hall as the adviser on race issues to Ken Livingstone, the then London Mayor.
And in the Croydon Radio interview with Inside Croydon‘s contributing editor Andrew Pelling, Jasper also addresses concerns about Galloway’s attitude to rape by speaking about his own achievements in public policy to support rape victims.
Jasper talks frankly about accusations against him in the Evening Boris that saw him driven out of City Hall despite what he insists was his “exoneration following exoneration”. He talks about the notorious emails that included the sexual innuendo of a cooking proposal that included honey glazing, and the hurt that the coverage caused his family.
But Jasper also uses the interview to concede that with little time before the by-election and lacking the “party machine” of his Labour and Conservative rivals, he faces a tough task in the contest.
Croydon Matters, presented by the former MP and local councillor Pelling, goes out at 2pm on Sunday on Croydon Radio. The internet radio channel can be heard on www.croydonradio.com live or later as a podcast.
- Inside Croydon: For comment and analysis about Croydon, from inside Croydon
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