Tory accused over 'dirty tricks' leaflet

A Tory candidate was accused today of trying to smear a Labour MP who has fought back from a stroke.

Greg Hands, the Conservative candidate for Hammersmith & Fulham, has issued an election leaflet highlighting the recent illness of Iain Coleman.

The document tells voters that Mr Coleman was left with "slurred speech and problems walking" after suffering the stroke. It goes on to point out the Labour MP has not spoken or voted in Parliament since last May because of his condition.

The row comes days after the Conservatives rounded on Labour for waging a "dirty tricks" campaign ahead of the general election. But Labour said Mr Hands's action showed the Conservatives were resorting to underhand techniques.

One Labour official described the leaflet as the "lowest of the low". Mr Coleman, 47, had a stroke last July. Although he had temporary paralysis in one of his legs, he was back at work in September and is expected to make a full recovery.

The MP, who had a majority of 2,015 over the Conservatives at the 2001 election, questioned his opponent's sincerity. He said: "I thought he [Hands] was being a bit snide. It is a very marginal seat and [the Conservatives] are going to fight a vigorous campaign. They say they want to fight a clean campaign and we will judge them on what they do."

In the leaflet, distributed across the constituency, Mr Hands writes: "Local residents will have seen in the papers reports that the local MP has had a stroke. Due to his illness, the MP has not spoken or voted in Parliament since May 2004 and has made no known public appearances in Hammersmith & Fulham in the last eight months." Mr Hands adds: "We wish the MP all the best for a swift recovery and look forward to a vigorous campaign.

"We need to make sure that all the issues like tax, the economy, the NHS and schools are properly debated."

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Mr Hands expressed surprise his remarks had caused distress, saying: "The message was very clear that we were wishing him the best for a swift recovery.

"This leaflet was put out weeks ago and the fact that there's a controversy bears all the hallmarks of a national Labour spin operation. Labour's complaint is a gross distortion. At no point was there any suggestion from me that political capital was being made from someone's illness."

Labour accused the Conservatives of fighting the "dirtiest possible" personalised campaign.

A party spokesman said: "They claim that Labour's questioning of Michael Howard's record as the minister who gave us the poll tax and three million unemployed, and who supported 15 per cent interest rates, is part of a dirty campaign. But when it comes to dirty campaigns, Michael Howard's Tories wrote the book."