A Manchester council candidate has been accused of misleading voters by sending campaign letters with a local address despite not living in the area.
Astrid Johnson, the Green Party candidate standing in Woodhouse Park who lives in Moss Side, used a Wythenshawe address in her letter to postal voters. The Wythenshawe address is actually the home of Greeen councillor, Rob Nunney.
Ms Johnson says it is used for written correspondence with local residents so that he can respond to their enquiries. But Labour councillor Sarah Judge, whose seat is under threat in this key election battleground, has accused her rival of 'misleading' local residents - claims refuted by Ms Johnson.
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Coun Judge, who is also standing against Conservative and Lib Dem candidates in the ward, claims residents have raised the issue with her. She said: "This isn't about if Astrid lives in Wythenshawe or not.
"Some people argue that their councillors should live locally. We've got some fantastic councillors who don't live in the area.
"The feeling I'm getting on the doorstep is that people feel misled. They're angry about this. People want their councillors to be honest."
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The Green Party beat Labour in Woodhouse Park at the last local election in May 2021 when Coun Rob Nunney unseated the ruling group's Brian O'Neil. Labour now hold 92 out of the 96 seats at Manchester council and will be hoping they do not lose another councillor at the upcoming election in May.
Johnson, who stood as a candidate in Sharston last year, says that people in Woodhouse Park know her now from all the campaigning she has been doing. However, she refuted allegations that she attempted to mislead voters by putting a Wythenshawe address below her name in the handwritten letter.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, she said Woodhouse Park is her 'adopted area', but insisted she 'never pretended' to live there. A Green Party spokesperson said: "It is standard practice across all political parties to use a common address on literature.
"This address, which is not even in the ward being contested, has been used by local campaigners for over four years. This non-story, whipped up by the local Labour Party, reveals desperation and shows Labour feel threatened by a strong Green challenge."
Johnson said Coun Nunney's address - which is in the Baguley ward - has been used by the Green Party for written correspondence in the area since 2018. Labour candidate Sarah Judge also lives outside the ward in Newall Green.
The other candidates standing in Woodhouse Park are Anna Hablak for the Liberal Democrats and Stephen James McHugh for the Conservative Party.
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