Dodgy leaflet: the Metropolitan Police has asked Tory candidate Hannah Gray to stop distributing an election leaflet which appears to be endorsed by the police, when it is not
Hannah Gray, a councillor in Bromley, is the Tory election candidate in the Beckenham and Penge constituency which borders Croydon.
Her leaflets feature a photograph of her shaking hands with Superintendent Luke Baldock, the Bromley borough commander, over a headline that states: “My plan. Cutting crime in our community”.
But according to Scotland Yard, Gray has contributed to wrong-doing in the community, by misrepresenting the Met Police and appearing to claim an endorsement from the police.
Tory Gray’s leaflet states: “I have met with Superintendent Luke Baldock, the man in charge of Policing in Bromley Borough and I was hugely impressed with his plan to ensure his Safer Neighbourhood Teams are visible in the community and I am now working to ensure his officers have the resources to spend more time in the wards that they are responsible for…”.
Gray has been a councillor in Bromley for 10 years, during which time her Conservative colleagues in government cut police numbers by more than 20,000, and Boris Johnson, when London Mayor, closed 65 police stations around the capital – much like the front desks that Gray, in her dodgy leaflet, now says she wants to re-open at Penge and West Wickham.
The Metropolitan Police has to tread a tricky line of impartiality over all matters political, especially at election time, when they are tasked in maintaining the peace around candidates, rallies and polling stations.
Police officers routinely meet with elected representatives in the community to discuss policing all the time, and a Scotland Yard source has confirmed that the photograph used in Gray’s leaflet was taken before the election was called.
Mugged shot: Bromley borough commander Supt Luke Baldock
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Inside Croydon, “The Metropolitan Police Service is impartial and does not endorse any candidate. It does not control how images of officers are used in campaign literature.
“The Metropolitan Police are aware of a leaflet being circulated by a candidate which included a picture of a MPS officer. The Metropolitan Police has requested the candidate to withdraw the leaflet from circulation.”
Inside Croydon understands that that “request” was made a week ago. But residents in Penge have contacted this website to confirm that they had the dodgy leaflet stuck through their letter boxes as recently as this week.
Inside Croydon contacted Gray to ask her why she and her Tory supporters were still distributing the leaflet, even after the Met Police had asked them not to.
“It’s been pulled,” Gray said. “It’s been pulled. It’s been stopped.”
Asked again about the leaflet still being distributed this week, Gray refused to comment further.
She said, “That’s all I am saying on the matter.” She then hung up.
And to think that the Conservatives used to claim to be the party of law and order…
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