A statement on the Conservative website described Cllr Matthews as ‘some former Parliamentary Candidate who already had a track record of costing Hythe West residents plenty of money when last he was a town councillor,’ and called the Lib Dem campaign ‘malicious and outrageous.’ (http://www.shepwayconservatives.org.uk/index.php?sectionid=3&pagenumber=452) while the Liberal Democrat announcement was more genial in tone (http://www.shepwaylibdems.org.uk/news/001700/big_swing_to_lib_dems_in_hythe_west_but_conservatives_retain_seat.html).
Asked for comment, Cllr Matthews attacked Conservative campaign literature as distasteful and inaccurate.
Referring to a box titled ‘Rosemary Is Good For Your Health’ in one Conservative leaflet, which included the phrase ‘Your DNA is particularly prone to injury from liberals. Left unchecked, this damage can eventually lead to cells proliferating out of control, which greatly increases the risk of local cancers,’ Cllr Matthews stated
‘Many people have spoken to me about her opinion. Those people, particularly those who have lost close relatives to cancer have difficulty understanding how she sees the world…to dislike a political party because of her belief people's DNA are at risk, frankly I find truly uncomfortable and alarming.’
Cllr Matthews also noted the case of Linda and John Oliver. Both were Hythe town councillors and Mrs Oliver was a district councillor. They remained in position drawing expenses even after they had moved to Bath, becoming the focus of much comment (http://www.yourshepway.co.uk/kent-news/Tory-Oliver-defends-council-role-in-Somerset-newsinkent24541.aspx?news=local and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7256243.stm), and were repeatedly mentioned by Liberal Democrats during the campaign.
When asked if these statements were fair and reasonable Chairman of Folkestone and Hythe Conservatives and Shepway District Councillor Russell Tillson hit back, describing the Lib Dem campaign as ‘a mix of irrelevance, unsubstantiated claims, scaremongering and empty promises,’ and stated the party was looking into the legality of Liberal Democrat methods.
‘Two LibDem propaganda exercises circulated on polling day itself these were deeply irresponsible and of questionable legality - we are currently reviewing the latter.’
‘The first was an A4 flyer, printed entirely in blue, delivered early in the morning, and purporting to come from the Conservatives, offering an 'apology' for statements made in a Conservative leaflet about the Olivers and the claiming of allowances, statements which were in fact entirely accurate.
‘The second was an official-looking envelope, ostensibly a council tax demand from the Hythe Town Council, which when opened contained further LibDem propaganda.
‘Both exercises in negative campaigning naturally backfired, as the significant Conservative margin of victory appears to testify.’
Cllr Tillson also defended remarks comparing Liberals to cancer as ‘innovative and witty,’ adding that ‘the properties attributed to the herb [Rosemary] can be sourced in any encyclopaedia, and are wholly authentic.’
‘Given the LibDems' appalling past record of wasting taxpayers' money in Hythe, I have no difficulty in making the public comparison, and believe it requires no defence.’
The by-election was triggered when the Conservative incumbent Richard Carroll stepped down in October in protest at the granting of permission by Shepway Development Control Committee for a large development on the grounds of the Hotel Imperial.
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