Toby Perkins in Interns Row

[Pete]

The Sun and the Daily Mail are both carrying a story about how volunteers are only being paid £25 per week.

Julia Cambridge, who is running against Mr Perkins in Chesterfield, said: 'This smacks of utter hypocrisy. You can't one day bang on about giving workers a living wage, and then do the exact opposite.'

In a statement, Toby Perkins said, “'The people working on my election campaign are doing so in a voluntary capacity.

'Two of the volunteers are students on four-year politics degrees who have during their third year been based in my office in Westminster and wanted to volunteer in the General Election campaign.

'The other two are local young party members who were between jobs and were wanting to dedicate themselves to the General election campaign.

'The local party arranged to cover their expenses.'

Not looking good for Chesterfield's politics hot on the heels of Julia Cambridge's recent complaint that former LibDem MP Paul Holmes had been bullying her.

As we head towards election day I can see more of this sort of story as muck raking by the gutter press shows the true nature of politics these days.

http://dailym.ai/1zFjCJl

[Slacker]

Hatchet job by the right wing press at one of only 2 Labour gains in 2010, we have dozens of unpaid volunteers

[Pete]

How long do we have to wait until "you know who" replies to this situation?

I'm loving this story - especially as the Mail is quoting the Sun, well known for their great sensitivity in reporting national news.

I guess we'll have to wait and see if she runs with this story.

[Old Cruser]

Volunteers are not supposed to get paid - that's what voluntary means isn't it.

However receipts for bus fares etc should be submitted and refunded shouldn't they??

[Pete]

I honestly don't know OC, I've never been that political that I felt like volunteering for any political party.

Looks like a non story to me, put out by a local branch of the party who are getting such bad press at the moment.

She said she would come on here and answer questions - we're still waiting....

[Slacker]

Interesting take
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/rupert-murdoch-berated-sun-journalists-for-not-doing-enough-to-attack-ed-miliband-10191005.htm

[Pete]

Nice find Slackly - Murdock still trying to run this country...

Creep.

BTW Anyone know if the LibDems pay their volunteers? Or haven't they got any?

[therealjr]

No party will pay volunteers. Each candidate has to fill in a very detailed form about how much they have spent and there are strict limits. If they started 'paying' volunteers' they would overspend

[therealjr]

Oh and Murdoch's influence is really going to fall isn't it!!!

[Old Cruser]

No party will pay volunteers. Each candidate has to fill in a very detailed form about how much they have spent and there are strict limits. If they started 'paying' volunteers' they would overspend

[/b]

Also they wouldn't be volunteers- they would be staff

[Fly]

Quick, run, abandon ship. Labour volunteers receive a couple of quid. The end of the earth is nigh   
The country will never be the same again. The election campaign is ruined !!
Tories and Libdems need underpant cleanser for premature speculations 

In other news, I feel sorry for this guy. He thought he'd won £20,000+ on the National 
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/killingworth-man-thought-hed-won-9084529

Moral of the story. Don't count your chickens bla bla bla