People handing out election leaflets on the streets of Exeter have been subject to assaults, violence and intimidation, it has been claimed.
Siam Bhayro, who chairs the city’s Reform UK branch, told a hustings event that his mother had been punched in the back while campaigning for the party.
The leader of the city’s Green group also said her party’s supporters had been subjected to violence and intimidation during the campaign.
Speaking during the event hosted by Devon Live and the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Bhayro claimed ‘somebody from the left of centre’ had done it.
Both Green and Labour parties have deplored any kind of violence, and say the alleged attack was ‘unsubstantiated’.
Mr Bhayro said it had not been reported to the police. “What would be the point?” he said.
He told the hustings event that his mother had stood her whole life against racism.
He went on: “The other day she got physically assaulted by somebody from the left of centre, either a Green or a Labour person, because she was delivering a leaflet on behalf of Reform UK.
“This person punched her in the back. You need to ask yourself, why has this happened? We get accused of stoking division, yet it’s us that get labeled far right. It’s us that get labeled Nazis.”
The city council’s Green group leader Cllr Diana Moore (St Davids) said: “This is an unsubstantiated claim.
“Violence and political intimidation are not acceptable by anyone. It is something that Green volunteers have been subject to in this local campaign and such unsubstantiated allegations will only undermine community relations.”
Council leader Cllr Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) said he supported Cllr Moore’s comments deploring any such attack.
After the meeting Mr Bhayro said he could see no point in reporting incidents to the police.
He said: One of my candidates was threatened with physical violence. We didn’t report it – what would be the point? I was chased down the road during my first leaflet drop a couple of weeks back. I didn’t report it – what would be the point?
“Instead of debating the issues with us, our opponents stir up a mob against us to try to intimidate us. Those who want to be good people then think it is virtuous to attack us.”
The hustings event ranged over a series of questions – suggested by readers – on topics including housing, parking, anti-social behaviour and the cost-of-living crisis. At the end of the hour-long debate, each member of the panel was invited to sum up and make the case for their party ahead of the elections on May 7.
Mr Bhayro said the ‘elephant in the room’ was the fact that Labour had tried to cancel the elections and Reform UK had sought the judicial review which led to the government changing its mind.
The Labour administration had said there was no point electing members to a ‘zombie’ council which could be dissolved under local government reorganisation, and a quarter of a million pounds could be saved by shelving the elections.
Cllr Bialyk said voters had a clear choice to make on who runs the city council.
“Who do you trust to invest in the city?” he asked. “Who do you trust to support working families? It is a choice between a Labour council that is delivering for Exeter or parties that risk taking the city backwards.”
Conservative councillor Peter Holland (St Loyes) said his party would campaign to re-open Dryden Road, which was controversially closed to traffic during the pandemic, and would invest in streets, infrastructure and housing.
And, he added: “Yes to a better bus service, turning up on time with good frequency and on the route that the residents need. Yes to investing in better play equipment and parks to make them more fun and enjoyable. Yes to planting more trees and wild flowers to encourage wildlife and biodiversity.”
Representing the Liberal Democrats, group leader Cllr Michael Mitchell (Duryard and St James) said he regretted the fact that good local councillors would lose their seats because of a national ‘spasm’ and not because of local issues.
He went on: “We are electing local councillors to look after the issues in their community in Exeter. This is not a national referendum on the prime minister or anything the government’s doing or what you think about Donald Trump or anything else.
“We need good local community champions who stand up for their communities.”
Cllr Moore said that as the largest opposition group on the authority, the Greens had a strong record of holding Labour to account.
She added: “We’ve got a very detailed manifesto which looks at how we can tackle local issues like affordable housing, protecting green spaces and creating a thriving local economy.
“Exeter has changed significantly over the last 20 years, and we’re a city made up of people from different religions, cultures, backgrounds, and ages. We’re committed to working with our communities so we can live well together and support one another.”
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