Woolas banned for 3 years

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Phil Woolas has been 'hung out to dry', Labour MP says

Labour MP Graham Stringer has said Phil Woolas was "hung out to dry" after being banned from politics by a specially convened election court.

Mr Stringer told BBC Radio Manchester that the decision to order a re-run of the constituency's election set a "dangerous precedent".

Mr Woolas has said he plans to appeal against the court's decision.

But deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman has suggested that even if he won it he would not have a future in the party.

Mr Stringer said that there were many "grey areas" during the heat of election campaigns, it was easy "to go over the top" and he had had lies told about him.

He added that Mr Woolas had done one of the most difficult jobs, as immigration minister, and he would have preferred a more "rounded statement" from Labour rather than just "hanging him out to dry".

An election court barred Mr Woolas from politics for three years on Friday for making false statements against his opponent.

Mr Woolas was then suspended from Labour after the first judgement of its kind by an election court for 99 years.

The court was told Mr Woolas stirred up racial tensions during a campaign which saw him retain his Oldham East and Saddleworth seat by 103 from Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins.

Mr Woolas has said he intends to seek a judicial review of the decision, which Labour - who have suspended him - are not supporting.

Ms Harman told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that "whatever happens in an appeal... it won't change the facts that were found by the election court, which was that he said things that were untrue knowing it".

"It is not part of Labour's politics for somebody to be telling lies to get themselves elected."

There would be a disciplinary process to follow within the party, following the decision to suspend him on Friday, she added.

The Commons Speaker John Bercow will outline on Monday whether to initiate a by-election for Oldham East and Saddleworth immediately, or wait for further legal proceedings.

The case against Mr Woolas was brought under Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act.

This makes it an offence to publish "any false statement of fact in relation to the candidate's personal character or conduct" to prevent them being elected - unless they believed it was true and had "reasonable grounds" to do so.

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