The Labour Party and Data Protection

This morning I received a letter from the Labour candidate, John Adams, not from Edinburgh but re-directed from my former home in Dartford, Kent.

Now, given we have just come through a general election this is hardly surprising I hear you shout.

True, however, at the end of this month I have lived in Edinburgh for two years and not only have I been on the electoral register here in Edinburgh North & Leith since June 2008, I was also removed from the Dartford electoral register since June 2008.

So, how have I therefore been selected to receive just one piece of direct mail from John Adams and the Dartford Labour Party?

In fact, it wasn't just any piece of direct mail it was a letter and insert directed at a Liberal Democrat voter.

So, where did they get my details from?

There is only one other database other than the electoral register (which as I said before I had been removed from two years ago) in Dartford that my details existed on.

Howard Stoate, the former Labour MP had communicated with me on various issues but as the MP.

Surely under the Data Protection Act these details should not have been used in the election by another candidate (Howard Stoate had stood down).

I have emailed John Adams, but the auto reply stated that the email addres was no longer in use.

I have therefore today written to Dartford Electoral Registration, Dartford Labour Party and the Information Commissioner - I am just annoyed that the party who governed for thirteen years blatantly flaunt legislation when it suits them.

Howard Stoate MP resigns before losing

As I lived and campaigned in Dartford for 14 years I know a little bit about the politics there, did you know Margaret Thatcher stood for Parliament for the first time in Dartford and I was a Parish Councillor there as well? - facts you may or may not have known.

Just recently, in the last ten minutes I have seen various Tweets and emails that Howard Stoate MP is to stand down blaming the new rules on second jobs, as he is also a practising GP.

I have never heard such a load of tosh in my life, the Labour Party in Dartford has been in a decline over recent years since the Tories took control of the Council and key members of the Labour Party passed away or moved out of the area. Labour have taken Dartford for granted for some years.

The volume of literature had gone from regular labour leaflets to a letter from Howard Stoate now and again, when I moved to Scotland I emailed Howard and mentioned that if the local Labour Party didn't pull it's finger out and get going again he was doomed.

The local Tories are divided on the choice of their candidate but fair play he did get within 706 votes last time, but the Liberal Democrats candidate Peter Bucklitsch and his amazing Agent, Andrew Reeves ran the most intense campaign for some time that the Lib Dems had done thus preventing Dartford becoming a Tory gain in 2005.

I have said for some considerable time that Howard Stoate would lose at the next General Election so his decision not to stand does not surprise me at all.