McGrath says South Down Alliance candidate Brown has questions to answer over involvement of campaigners
SDLP South Down Assembly candidate Colin McGrath has said there are serious questions for the Alliance Party’s Patrick Brown to answer over the alleged use of campaigners from overseas.
Mr McGrath was speaking after it was revealed a company run by Mr Brown sought to charge US interns up to $1,500 to work on the 2019 local government election campaign in the North.
Mr McGrath said: “Election spending rules are in place to create a level playing field and to prevent abuse adding that it would be for the Electoral Commission to investigate allegations of impropriety.
South Down candidate Mr McGrath said: “A candidate in an election charging people from outside this island to take part in the campaign is highly unusual and raises a number of very serious questions.
“Advertising from Mr Brown’s former company ‘Politrip’ indicates that they were offering people the chance to take part in the campaign in exchange for a fee and I think the public has the right to know how many people took part, and which parties and candidates they campaigned for. Was this an opportunity to gain campaign experience or was it used to recruit campaign staff for one party or one candidate?
“Every political party in these islands relies on the goodwill of party members and volunteers to campaign for them during elections and the current Assembly campaign will be no different.
“There is no question over those volunteers who give their time freely and willingly to pursue the politics they believe in. While I understand the appeal of coming to campaign in high profile electoral contests, many people from the North travel overseas to take part in campaigns and support causes they believe in, it remains unconventional that people would pay a company owned by a candidate to take part in a local government election.
“We recently saw a visually similar advert to that used by ‘Politrip’ from the Alliance Party and I think it’s important we establish exactly how long this has been going on for, who has benefited and ensure that the electoral rules have been followed at all times. These matters are for the Electoral Commission to examine, free from external influence.
“Campaigning is an important part of any election, but I think local communities would appreciate hearing from candidates and their supporters who are engaged with the issues that matter to them in lieu of people who have been recruited from overseas, with some expected to pay for the pleasure.”
The SDLP’s Colin McGrath attacks South Down Alliance Candidate Patrick Brown
Cllr Patrick Brown in response to the challenge from the SDLP, said: “Unfortunately, this is a transparent and shallow attempt by the local SDLP to try and damage me personally ahead of May’s election.
“The fact that they are now trying to spin what was a perfectly legitimate programme for young people to come and learn about NI politics, from 2019, into an alleged breach of electoral law, is ludicrous.
“The Electoral Commission have already confirmed that there was absolutely no issue with Politrip recruiting international volunteers to gain valuable experience on political campaigns. In fact, a number of SDLP representatives and representatives from other parties have engaged with ‘Politrippers’ in the past, and SDLP members were actually actively involved in the establishment of Politrip.”
(Politrip was a company set up to promote educational and political exchanges with the United States.)
He added: “It is therefore very unfortunate that Mr McGrath has chosen to launch this attack a month out from polling day. The attack is negative, backwards politics, and the people of South Down do not want to see from parties who should be working together to deliver for their area.
“This is a clear indication of just how worried the SDLP are of losing their second seat in South Down. I think Mr McGrath should be more worried about his party’s lack of delivery for the greater Downpatrick area rather than spurious, politically motivated attacks like this.
“For example, more pertinent questions for local voters to ask might be :
• why the SDLP are supporting moving the council HQ to Newry at a cost of £26.4m to ratepayers,
• why they have presided over the downgrading of the Down Museum and
• why they support the closure of the council’s tourism office in Downpatrick.
“I would suggest this recent attack is an attempt to distract from the SDLP’s failings locally.
“Frankly, I am proud to have established a one-of-its-kind business which provided young people with valuable experience on international political campaigns, both here and in the USA.
“All these programmes were publicly advertised and Politrip has nothing to hide. Mr McGrath is trying to spin that there was something untoward in the recruitment process, which offered a 1-month educational trips to Northern Ireland including flights, accommodation and cultural activities for $1500.
“Politrip also offers a bursary programme for low income households. Additionally, I am no longer the owner of Politrip, having sold the rights to it last year as a result of the impact the Covid pandemic had on the business.
“So on 5th May, voters have a chance to vote for positive, progressive Alliance representation for Downpatrick and South Down, and move away from the politics of failure and negativity of the past.”
