Latest news with #politicalcampaigning
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Leicester woman vows to fight 'political' camping table fine
A woman has vowed to fight a fine she was given for setting up a table in Leicester city centre while campaigning against city council Rawling was given a £100 penalty under new rules to prevent anti-social behaviour on Saturday 31 72-year-old, from Leicester, said she believed the fine had been issued to prevent political campaigning and she would rather go to court than council said its new public spaces protection order (PSPO) introduced in April does not restrict free speech and that Mrs Rawling had been fined for putting an unauthorised structure on the highway. Mrs Rawling, a member of the Socialist Party, said she was not causing a nuisance or blocking the highway. "I accept the PSPO can be needed to deal with people on e-bikes, noisy speakers or street drinkers," she said."But this was a small camping table which we had for leaflets and so people could sign a petition."I don't think we were in anybody's way. There's plenty of space. We weren't being a nuisance."I think this was political - we were asked to take it down because we were campaigning about council cuts."It was all very amicable. The warden asked me to take it down. I said I would not and he issued a fine."I'm not going to pay it on principle, and if I have to go to court, I will."Mrs Rawling said she was opposing cuts to public services at the city council, including potential closures of community centres, and public sector job council said the penalty for breaching a PSPO could rise to £1,000 if the matter goes to court for prosecution. 'Noticeably improved' Campaigners previously wrote to Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby seeking assurances they are exempt from the PSPO.A number of groups including unions and political parties said they feared the order could "constitute an unjustified limit on their democratic rights" as the ban also includes "unauthorised structures" such as banners, stalls and told the BBC: "There's absolutely nothing in the PSPO that prevents people from going out and trying to persuade people on political matters - if they do it without a table or gazebo or loud speaker."A council spokesperson said: "The PSPO does not restrict freedom of speech, but it does restrict the nuisance of amplifiers, gazebos and other structures that more than 1,100 respondents to our consultation told us negatively impacted their experience of Leicester city centre."Many groups have been respectful of this so far and, as a result, the environment in the city centre is noticeably improved.""This group had put up a table, in breach of the public spaces protection order (PSPO) that covers the city centre. "One of our wardens asked them to take down the table and advised that if they didn't, they would be issued with a fixed penalty notice. "They refused to take it down and so a fine was issued."The council said three fixed penalty notices were issued in May under the new PSPO rules - all relating to unauthorised use of unauthorised structures on the highway.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Former Boris Johnson adviser urges Guernsey candidates to be bold
Boris Johnson's former spin doctor has encouraged candidates in Guernsey's general election to "be over the top" to stand a chance of getting elected to the States. Will Walden, who is from Guernsey, told the Your Voice, Your Vote podcast: "All candidates need to think short, sharp and pithy to get noticed."The nomination period for candidates to stand in the bailiwick's general election opens at 09:00 BST and closes on 14 May at 16: than two thirds of the 38 sitting deputies were expected stand, with at least six of them set to stand down. 'Know your audience' Mr Walden, who worked with the former prime minister for more than a decade, told the podcast incumbent candidates could have an advantage due to already having a public profile. However, he warned: "It's also a problem as people may hate what they've done in the last four years."Mr Walden, who worked on Johnson's campaigns to become the Mayor of London and prime minister, said: "What makes good political campaigning isn't different from Boris to anyone else, it's about knowing your audience. "It's much more about them than you."These days people don't trust politicians, they trust people next door, they trust people like them." Candidates have a limit of £3,000 to spend on campaigning in the general election and they can give part of their allowance to political Walden said it was important to have "a really clear, concise and affirming message"."What works are things like: 'get Brexit done', 'take back control', 'yes we can', 'make America great again'. "What doesn't work, Theresa May 'strong and stable', 'Britain stronger in Europe' which doesn't have the same affirming message." 'Be authentic' He said there would be "very few opportunities to stand out" if a predicted 75-100 candidates were to stand at the general election."My advice to candidates would always be, be over the top."If you start a manifesto with I've worked in Guernsey Finance all my life, or my mother always said that those who don't toast Guernsey gâche shouldn't be trusted, I wonder which of those messages is more memorable? "The point is you have a short window to stand out and within that you need to be authentic." The BBC will publish a full list of the candidates for Guernsey's general election on the evening of May 14.
