The Labour Party were spinning earlier that as soon as the allegations about their disgraced PPC John Cowan emerged he was suspended: ‘The allegations that came to light after nominations closed are totally unacceptable and well below what the party expects of our candidates.”
Came to light “after nominations closed“? That is just not true.
Social media guru and Twitter Tsar Kerry McCarthy, a Labour MP no less, was tipped off about Cowan’s dodgy online behaviour over three months ago. Here is the tip-off email (verbatim):
From: █████ █████ <████████████@gmail.com>
Date: 12 February 2010 21:20
Subject: Private and Confidential and off the record
To: mccarthyk@parliament.ukDear Kerry,
My name is █████ █████ and I work in the motorsports industry. I represent drivers, teams, and component suppliers in the motorsport industry. I believe you like a couple of friends have suffered from being stalked by a certain John Cowan. Both the girls I know that I know are racing drivers who raced from an early age. I became aware of ████’s problems with Cowan when we were at Brands Hatch for a race. ████ had run out of finances and had hired her car to a driver who I was coaching. Her father was engineering the car. All was fine until I noticed that ████ and her Dad looked a bit woried. When I enquired what was wrong; her father pointed out John Cowan standing by the car and told me of the trouble that ████ had receiving lude emails. I asked Cowan to leave and not bother ████ or my driver again.
Until this was mentioned I had just assumed he was a ‘harmless’ idiot that lived in a dreamworld. I am afraid motor racing attracts these type of fools as does politics. Since then I have found out ████ is not the only female racing driver that has had problems with Cowan. And now I am reliably informed that you yourself have had problems with this man.
I am now horrified to find out that he is standing for Parliament in South Cambridgeshire and I am supprised he was even picked as a candidate with a false CV!
It has now been bought to our attention you have been pestered by this man; I don’t believe in this age that he should be anywhere near public office. Can he be removed as candidate before he can do any real damage?
I llok forward to your reply.
regards
█████ █████
07███ ██████
So what did Kerry McCarthy do next…
