Council elections 2022: Portsmouth politicians invited to sign a pledge to avoid lying
ELECTION candidates in Portsmouth have been invited to sign a pledge to avoid lying, being disrespectful and to put the city above political divides.
Put together ahead of the May voting by Labour's Milton campaigner Paula Savage, the pledge has so far been signed by 21 people and is aimed at 'raising standards of conduct in public life'.
'The public has had enough of dirty tactics in politics, of seeing elected representatives get personal and argue with one another,' she said. 'This pledge invites all candidates standing to be Portsmouth city councillors to rise above this type of behaviour and instead, commit to acting with integrity, honesty and compassion.'
The pledge has six key points:
To reserve criticism for policies, track records and agendas, rather than being personal attacks,
to never lie or misrepresent,
to avoid calling candidates out 'needlessly',
to be respectful and professional, particularly on social media,
to put Portsmouth above political divides,
and for elected councillors to serve 'in a way that benefits our communities'.
The pledge has been shared with the the leaders of the city's political groups ahead of the May 5 elections.
Labour candidate for Cosham Asghar Shah, who has signed the pledge said 'Portsmouth residents deserve better' than 'misrepresentations' and 'untruths' made between nominees.
'We hope that all the people who go into politics do it because of the passion they have for their communities and the commitment they have to make our city an even better place,' she said.
Most signatories are Labour candidates, although they have been joined by several independents.