30-04-2025
Moment Tory canvasser removed Reform local election leaflet from homeowner's letterbox and replaced it with his own campaign flyer
A Reform candidate was left fuming when a video surfaced showing a Tory campaigner removing her leaflet from a letterbox and replacing it with his own.
Maxine Fothergill's team had been pounding the pavements putting leaflets through doors after she decided to stand in the Kent County Council elections on May 1.
But she was made aware of doorbell camera footage taken on Saturday April 19 which shows a rival Tory removing her pamphlet, shoving it in his pocket and then shuffling away.
Simon Fawthrop can be seen on the footage going up to the door in a Union Jack T-shirt in what is thought to be New Ash Green in Kent.
And he clearly removes the leaflet in question, before pushing a Tory one through the door instead.
Cllr Fawthrop was part of a campaign team for Conservative candidate Penny Cole, who is standing for election to the Sevenoaks Rural North East ward alongside Ms Fothergill tomorrow.
Cllr Cole has now apologised for what happened - and Cllr Fawthrop has taken to YouTube to defend his actions.
He blasted the video as 'fake news' and said he had taken the leaflet away, but only because he wanted to read it.
He claims he then returned with it later and put it back, something not seen on the film.
And amazingly he then blamed Reform, saying: 'Well done to Reform for what they've done in terms of trying to fake something, which is really good.
'The incident is a lot longer than was shown on that video.
'There's another 30 seconds to a minute after that which shows that, yes I took a leaflet out, I was being nosy and wanted to read what it said, but I then put them back in.
'The reason they won't show you that is that they're trying to do fake news.'
Cllr Fawthrop - a Conservative councillor on Bromley Council - challenged the homeowner to release the rest of the footage to prove him right.
'It will either show that I'm right, and I put it back, or it will be the most boring video that's ever been made,' he added.
'It's a challenge to Reform - you want to show you've got integrity, you want to show you're speaking the truth, so all you have to do is get hold of that person and get you to show the extra video.
'Man takes leaflet, puts it back, really it's not a story at all.'
Voters will head to the polls on Thursday (May 1) to elect councillors in the Kent County Council elections.
All of the 72 electoral divisions across the county, adding up to 81 county councillors in total, are up for election.
Currently, the six seats in the Sevenoaks division are held by five Conservatives and one Lib Dem councillor.
But it could be a night of gains for Reform, with several major issues giving candidates a boost.
Ms Fothergill has become increasingly involved in politics after becoming disenchanted with other political parties.
She lives in the Sevenoaks district hamlet of Fawkham, and stood for Old Bexley and Sidcup in the General Election last year, taking almost 22% of the vote, but losing out to Tory candidate Louie French.
She now hopes to wrestle the Sevenoaks Rural North East county council ward from the Conservative party.
Part of Ms Fothergill's appeal is that, as well as being local, she opposes plans for a huge solar farm on land between Fawkham and Horton Kirby.
She said she was first made aware of the footage of Cllr Fawthrop on a Whatsapp chat group.
She said: 'This is completely unacceptable. Not only is it underhanded and undemocratic, but removing items from a private letterbox may be a criminal offence.
'Smirking and treating the matter as if it's amusing is simply not on. He was caught red-handed, and he knows it.
'It's disappointing to see attempts to spin this and blame Reform UK.
'The individual acted improperly, and as a serving ward councillor in Bromley, he should know far better. This was electoral interference, plain and simple.'
Cllr Cole has since apologised saying that the leaflet should not have been removed by Cllr Fawthrop.
Sevenoaks Conservative Association released a statement on her behalf, saying: 'I want to be clear that I do not condone, nor have ever encouraged any of my volunteers who've helped me, to take opponents' leaflets from letterboxes.
'I have had a kind number of volunteers from around and outside the area come over to support me in my campaign, and I expect them all to act in a proper and professional manner.
'I have nonetheless written to Maxine directly, as a fellow candidate, to apologise for this incident, and she has accepted my apology.'
A spokesperson for Sevenoaks District Council said: 'If an alleged electoral offence has taken place, the matter should be referred to the police.'
Kent County Council has also been approached for comment.
