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Clean Politics > Published by Shamik Das, July 29th 2011 at 10:20 am

Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”

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There are reports this morning that the Conservative party used private investigators, like the infamous phone hacking PI Glen Mulcaire, to delve into the personal lives of their own supporters.

Andy-Coulson-David-CameronThe Mirror reveals:

They used a private investigation firm to delve into the personal lives of those sounded out for the “I have never voted Conservative before but…” campaign. At least three people were later rejected.

One was reportedly turned down because he had had an affair and another because of links to a ­controversial political movement.

The Tories claim the checks were legally done by a “reputable” firm and “with the full ­knowledge and consent of the person involved”. But one of them told the Mirror she was “astonished” that the party “knew everything” about her.

This latest story comes amidst the re-emergence onto the front pages of the News International phone hacking scandal, following the news yesterday that Sara Payne, mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne, may have had her phone hacked.

The phone in question was given to her by the News of the World, further ratcheting up the pressure on disgraced former-NotW editor Rebekah Brooks, who had wormed her way into Sara’s life and told her she was her friend, even getting her to write a glowing article about the rag in the final edition of the tabloid.

Elsewhere, the culture, media and sport select committee are meeting this morning to decide on whether to recall James Murdoch after his evidence to the committee was disputed, in particular his “I knew noooooothing” charade about the £700,000 and £1 million hush money payoffs to phone hack victims Gordon Taylor and Max Clifford.

  • http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/96873934686928896 Shamik Das

    Quite incredible RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/kelvinbridger/status/96873947555041280 Jamie Milne

    Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/brummytaff/status/96874421758869504 bob woods

    Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/liza_harding/status/96874591351349248 Liza Harding

    Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/blindjustice41/status/96875049545506816 w.m o’mara

    RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/31tzlB1

  • http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/96877260182794240 Michael

    Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” l Left Foot Forward – http://tinyurl.com/4xvvcad

  • http://twitter.com/greenleftie/status/96877951794159616 Michael Bater

    RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/oHePlqv

  • http://twitter.com/manishtas/status/96878443316256768 manishta sunnia

    RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/zi47D8S #tories #ukgovt #toryfail

  • http://twitter.com/cardifframon/status/96888777569615872 Ramon Jorron Corria

    RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/bWfNCvz

  • http://twitter.com/cllrmattbennett/status/96889778800295936 Matthew Bennett

    Quite incredible RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/redjolly1/status/96893883375562752 Debbie Jolly

    Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/mydavidcameron/status/96894390898917377 MyDavidCameron

    More on the Tory poster spies: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas at @leftfootfwd

  • http://twitter.com/dafidius/status/96895375125905408 DPWF

    More on the Tory poster spies: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas at @leftfootfwd

  • http://twitter.com/clbutler76/status/96896333503397888 Claire Butler

    More on the Tory poster spies: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas at @leftfootfwd

  • http://twitter.com/lenarthur2/status/96901312519749632 Len Arthur

    Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://bit.ly/qRD3BW reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/simon_watkins/status/96902557737295872 Simon Watkins

    RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/oHePlqv

  • Selohesra

    How does spying compare to stabbing your brother in the back in the big scheme of things?

  • http://twitter.com/magsnews/status/96907428687392768 Mags W

    RT @leftfootfwd Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://t.co/0TrruvC reports @ShamikDas < wonder who gave them that idea??

  • http://twitter.com/alfredcamp/status/96909896917856256 Alfred Camp

    @leTories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://t.co/P57rm9w

  • http://twitter.com/davessidekick/status/96915299173015552 Gideon Osborne

    RT @leftfootfwd Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters”: http://t.co/0TrruvC reports @ShamikDas < wonder who gave them that idea??

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/07/look-left-29-07-11/ Look Left – Just when you thought hackgate couldn’t get any worse… | Left Foot Forward

    [...] this morning the Mirror revealed that the Conservatives had used private investigators like the disgraced Glen Mulcaire – to [...]

  • Fabian Vanham

    Hilarious, if completely predictable. Attacking Ed Miliband as if this has any relevance to the issue raised in the article. And yes- this is much worse than running against your brother for the leadership of a political party.

  • Selohesra

    Thanks – glad you found it funny. I’ve never claimed to be original though – unlike the plagiarist Hari :)

  • Fabian Vanham

    imitation is often what makes something funny- it’s why sitcoms and stand-up comics exist.

  • http://twitter.com/iwbala/status/97217073247301633 Iwan Lloyd Jones

    RT @leftfootfwd: Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/suB3EeZ

  • http://twitter.com/vonslaich/status/97237370474209280 consumer

    http://t.co/EG8AbNs good to know #tories learned something from #coulson. #hackgate

  • http://cameron-cloggysmoralcompass.blogspot.com/ Gracie

    @ Selohesra – what on earth has this to do with the labour leadership election?

    The Tories claim the checks were legally done by a “reputable” firm and “with the full ­knowledge and consent of the person involved”.

    Then why not just ask the person involved? Hiring a private investigator to delve into the past of people you are asking to help out is disgusting, if it required this level of intrusion then the whole campaign should have been dropped.

  • Leon Wolfson

    @5 – Er, because people lie? No, you do need to do background checks. I think chasing this is a mistake, if people have agreed to them.

  • Dave

    A shame they didn’t show such diligence when appointing Andy Coulson or David Laws. But then they just worked in Downing St, rather than appearing on a poster.

  • http://twitter.com/eglantine99/status/128180482637697025 Jill

    The vetting procedure Cameron used on Coulson? Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” http://t.co/VBSSgDPd #hackgate

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/11/milly-dowler-solicitor-mark-lewis-news-international-snooping-victim-speaks-out/ Milly solicitor: NI acting “like former Soviet Union… you think the KGB are following you” | Left Foot Forward

    [...] Tories used PIs “to spy on their own supporters” – Shamik Das, July 29th [...]