A Labour candidate has been caught out after claiming slogan-endorsed plates she delivered to the local MP’s office were from hungry children, when they were in fact created by her and fellow Labour activists. A few days ago, Redcar-based comedian Chris McGlade visited his MP’s office with “a box full of empty plates, with messages written on them from children all over Teesside”, in a stunt organised by local mayoral candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs. Jacobs now admits the plates were faked. At least Jessie won’t go hungry eating her own words…

McGlade – who is a long-time personal friend of the Labour candidate – has since said he was “horrified” to learn of the deceit:

“I was asked to help take these plates to the MPs office by the Labour Mayoral candidate who said this wasn’t party political. She said they’d been written on by children accross the area. I trusted her.

She came with me and said that it wasn’t party political to the MP’s secretary, while I was stood there. I feel I’ve been used terribly”

Responding, Jacobs confessed: “no, I didn’t tell [Chris] everyone who had signed the plates and I’m deeply regretful of that.” There’s blatant party political point-scoring and then there’s this…