Paddick was a turn-off for voters, say Lib-Dems

THE PUBLIC were turned off the Liberal Democrats in this year's City Hall elections because of the party's poor planning, lack of credibility and use of negative campaigning, a secret report reveals.

The Lib-Dems' own internal inquest into the lacklustre performance of mayoral candidate Brian Paddick effectively tells the party to give up hope of winning the Mayor of London race. The comprehensive report exposes a "demoralised" grass-roots base and reveals that activists were so upset with "negative campaigning" that they refused to deliver leaflets. Supporters felt the party spent too much time attacking Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone rather than promoting Lib-Dem policies.

The confidential study, obtained by the Evening Standard, found a string of criticisms of party policy, structure, preparation and tactics.

The London Liberal Democrats Electoral Commission report, based on consultation with Lib-Dem candidates, MPs, MEPs, London Asssembly members and council leaders, makes sobering reading for leader Nick Clegg as he tries to regather his troops in the capital following one of its worst electoral years on record.

Former Met chief Mr Paddick came a poor third behind Johnson and Livingstone, garnering only 236,000 first preference votes. The report hints that Mr Paddick failed to promote the party rather than himself. "The present system often appears to incentivise candidates to promote themselves above all else... Many candidates have too often come across almost as if they were independents," it says.

In a damning aside, the report states: "Elections require a discipline and command and control structure that is ideologically alien to many Liberal Democrats."

It states that "criticisms received related to all parts of the party", pointing out that limited cash resources contributed to the "adverse circumstances" that led to poor results.

"Until our local election base further expands, the nature of the cross-London mayoral contest, which favours a two-party race, makes it unlikely that a Liberal Democrat will win," it says.

The study found that the lack of ethnic-minority candidates had damaged the Lib-Dems in inner-city London.

It says its candidates were able "but they all share a uniform profile - all white, from south of the river and with local government backgrounds".