Why do Caroline Righton and David Cameron's Tories remain silent about the smear campaign?

Over a week ago Caroline Righton made a desperate, but untrue smear attack on the Liberal Democrats candidate for the new St. Austell & Newquay seat in Cornwall, Stephen Gilbert.

Last Sunday I blogged, "Caroline Righton and Tories in dirty campaign tricks - shame" this is all about a twitter comment from Stephen Gilbert: "was at meeting about regeneration of major town (declined by Tory PPC; Tory PPC at a publicity stunt (declined by me)"

The Conservative candidate, Caroline Righton then shared this on her email but alleging that Steve had actually sent this out with this next piece added in "D***h**d!!!"

From Sunday to Wednesday, there was nothing but silence from Caroline Righton and the Conservatives. Strangely the Western Morning News bottled out of covering the story, I assume because they coudn't get a comment from Caroline Righton, but actually I feel they should cover this because it can all be independently verified.

On Wednesday, I blogged again, "Caroline Righton and her dirty tricks smear campaigns" when Stephen Gilbert's local party wrote a letter to David Cameron.

Then on Thursday things took a slightly different turn when it was discovered on Caroline Righton's Wikipedia page that her staff had obviously been caught clearing the page and actually trying to delete the page, resulting in a discussion between Wikipedia officials and her staff.

My blog post about this is here "Caroline Righton smear campaign moves onto Wikipedia".

Across on Lib Dem Voice, you can read what other bloggers have written about this. There have also been discussions on Conservative Home and the Vote 2007 sites.

Most people realise Caroline Righton has made a major mistake, but her silence and that of the Conservatives is deafening. To those who are saying we are mounting a witch hunt, utter rubbish, and also, be under no illusion, if this had been one of our candidates having done this to a Conservative candidate we would never hear the end of it from the Tories, such is their double standards.

Caroline Righton needs to apologise to Stephen Gilbert and do it now.