New Labour Campaign of Lies and Distortion Against Labour Leadership Challenger Begins

PRESS NOTICE - PRESS NOTICE

For Immediate Release

New Labour Campaign of Lies and Distortion against Labour Leadership Challenger Begins

Within 24 hours of his campaign launch the Labour leadership candidate John McDonnell MP has demonstrated that the New Labour spin tactics against him have started.

The article in today's Independent (Sat 15th July), by Andy McSmith, "Stalking Horse challenge falls at the first hurdle", is based upon a complete fabrication.

John McDonnell MP, said: "This is the very reason that I'm standing - to clean up politics and restore some integrity to the political debate instead of allowing it to be dominated by these sort of lies, distortion and spin."

"The article has all the hallmarks of No.10 spin and people are utterly sick of it. I never thought they'd sink to the depth of inventing an absolute fiction but McSmith's article is factually inaccurate from start to finish."

"I'm calling Mr McSmith out now to prove his storey and unless he can produce the evidence we will raise the issue of his professional standards with the NUJ and with the Press Complaints Commission."

"I don't mind New Labour supporters disagreeing with me, but I won't stand by and have them lie. I knew they'd throw everything at us but we expected an attack on the basis of policies not on the basis of a complete invention."

-ends-

Note for Editors:

McSmith alleges that McDonnell had originally intended to stand as a 'stalking horse' candidate against Blair but had to abandon that strategy and a Press Conference at Millbank Tower had to be abandoned because of lack of support.

In fact: