Two Conservative councillors have defended their portrayal as “neighbours” in a General Election video for Julie Marson.
The reels on Facebook featured Cllr Eric Buckmaster, a Tory member of Sawbridgeworth town, East Herts and Herts County Councils and Cllr Jonathan Kaye, a member of the county council for Ware South and a former member and chairman of East Herts Council. In the May 2023 local government elections, he was beaten by the Green Party in Ware Priory ward.
In the promotional videos on social media, viewers are asked: “Why are your neighbours voting for Julie Marson and the Conservatives?”
The councillors’ ringing endorsements of Mrs Marson, first elected as Hertford and Stortford MP in 2019, includes their names but does not mention their public office or the fact they are members of the Conservative Party, prompting critics to describe the reels as “misleading” and “unethical”.
Both men responded promptly to Indie inquiries about their testimonials as “neighbours”.
Cllr Buckmaster said: “I guess this is a coin with two sides. My instinct is that ‘readers’ who are raising concerns are possibly also members or supporters of other parties.
“Speaking just for myself I have been a resident of East Hertfordshire for much longer than I have been a well-known councillor, and if I am now well known it is because of the relationships I have tried to build with residents of all persuasions.
“I am aware of all of the local candidates, for a variety of reasons, and in that knowledge, I would assert to any resident that I put my trust in Julie Marson.”
Cllr Kaye said: “As a resident myself, I have witnessed first-hand Julie dealing with the parliamentary bureaucracy and government offices, assisting with often complicated matters.
“I know all of the Hertford and Stortford candidates and they’re not a bad bunch although some of their policies are a little dubious.
“I am supporting Julie not because she is a Conservative but because she has life experiences in dealing with real people and real issues before she put herself up for election whereas others who have moved quickly into politics have not had that breadth of learning before becoming a candidate.
“Furthermore, I think her abilities and knowledge acquired since becoming an MP will enable her to ‘hit the ground running’ on behalf of local residents, after July 5.”
TheIndie also asked Mrs Marson to respond to concerns that her campaign reels were “misleading and unethical” but she has not replied.
Neither has Hertford resident Ryan Henson, who features in the same video as Cllr Buckmaster and praises Mrs Marson for responding to his inquiries.
In the footage, he appears to be wearing the same clothes as a picture he posted on X/Twitter when he was campaigning alongside Mrs Marson. The only obvious difference is a lapel sticker, backing Mrs Marson, which was evident in the picture but not in the reel.
He was the Conservative candidate for Bedford at the 2019 General Election and was made a social mobility commissioner by the Conservative government. He is also an associate fellow at Bright Blue, “the independent think tank for liberal conservatism”.
Candidates in Hertford and Stortford are (in alphabetical order of surname): John Burmicz – Reform; Helen Campbell – Lib Dem; Nick Cox – Green; Josh Dean – Lab; Jane Fowler – Alliance for Democracy and Freedom; Barry Hensall – Heritage Party - Freedom, Family, Nation; Julie Marson – Con.