P Releases

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PRESS RELEASE: CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO CLEAR COUNCILLOR’S NAME

Date: October 24th 2007

‘A campaign has been set up to support the legal appeal of Waltham Forest Labour councillor Miranda Grell, who was convicted of two offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983 in September, following a three day trial at Waltham Forest Magistrate’s Court in Walthamstow, East London.

The “Justice for Leyton Ward” campaign has been launched by Miranda Grell’s friends, family, constituents and political colleagues, to raise awareness of Cllr Grell’s legal fight and to raise funds to pay for her legal team.

Cllr Grell was convicted of calling the former Liberal Democrat councillor, whom she beat in last year’s local election poll, a ‘paedophile’ as she went about campaigning on the doorstep.

Cllr Grell is maintaining her innocence. She and her supporters say that the verdict goes against the weight of the evidence heard in court and flies in the face of justice.

Miranda Grell has been suspended as a local councillor for the London Borough of Waltham Forest pending her appeal but still enjoys high levels of support from her local constituents and colleagues at all levels of the Labour Party.

Andrew Lock, Chair of the Justice for Leyton Ward campaign said, “Miranda and everyone who knows her were utterly shocked at the guilty verdict against her. Those of us who campaigned with Miranda in 2006 remember nothing but a happy, vibrant and exciting local election campaign that energised the Leyton community and parts of the ward that had been abandoned for years”.

Mr Lock continued, “Miranda is maintaining her innocence and her lawyers have lodged a formal appeal. We hope that the Leyton ward residents who supported Miranda Grell at the local elections last year will now support her fight for justice too”.

To find out more about the Justice for Leyton Ward campaign log on to www.justiceforleytonward.org.uk’

Ends.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The Justice for Leyton Ward campaign is a fully constituted, non-party political, independent campaign.

2. An appeal fund bank account has been set up strictly to pay for Miranda Grell’s legal fees and any expenditure relating to the JfLW campaign, under the governance of the constituted JfLW committee.

3. No funds from the JfLW campaign will go into Miranda Grell’s personal bank accounts. The appeal fund bank account has been set up strictly to pay for Miranda Grell’s legal fees and any expenditure relating to the JfLW campaign under the governance of the constituted JfLW committee.

4. For more information about the JfLW campaign and this press release, please contact the campaign’s Chair Andrew Lock on 07908 707 347.