‘CLEVER’ electioneering has prompted anger among some residents of a Darlington village who have accused parish council candidates of underhand tactics.

This week a leaflet was distributed in Middleton St George promoting ten out of the 18 candidates standing in the village’s Parish Council elections tomorrow (Thursday, May 5).

The leaflet resembles an official parish council newsletter and features a cut-out slip with ten candidates’ names to take to the polling station.

This led to some residents believing the literature was official parish council material that had omitted eight other candidates also standing in the election.

Several villagers contacted The Northern Echo questioning whether the leaflet could be classed as vote-rigging and called the literature underhand.

Complaints have also been made to Darlington Borough Council’s electoral department, but a council spokeswoman told The Northern Echo that candidates have a right to promote themselves and no rules have been broken.

She said: “This is an election leaflet, and in line with election law, it states who it is promoted and published by on the back page.

“The election leaflet is promoting ten candidates.

“There is nothing wrong with this and there is no requirement to make reference to other candidates.

“It is up to the other candidates to promote themselves.”

Ward Councillor Doris Jones, who is not standing for parish council re-election this year, supported the leaflet’s publication and said that it was paid for by all those named on the literature.

She said she could not understand the furore surrounding the leaflet because each candidate is entitled to issue promotion material ahead of an election.

She said: “It is just clever electioneering, it is showing a bit of experience, if they (the other eight candidates) had come and said we want to be part of this team then fine but they didn’t, they had meetings between themselves.”

Mrs Jones pointed out that there was nothing stopping the eight other candidates producing their own literature and said she was “appalled” at suggestions made by some complainants that the leaflet was underhand.

Voting for the Middleton St George Parish Council elections takes place from 7am to 10pm tomorrow (Thursday, May 5) at the WI Hall on Neasham Road, with 18 candidates standing for ten places.