A Tory candidate has been criticised for encouraging people to “go on strike” and not vote in an upcoming London by-election.
Otto Jacobsson references a fictional Marxist in his election material to Wandsworth residents, but does not mention he is running for the Conservative party.
Mr Jacobsson, who is originally from Sweden, sent residents eligible to vote in next week's Tooting Broadway by-election a letter that said: "You can go on temporary strike, withholding your vote, or you can deliberately vote for another party."
He adds: "This is risk-free: the by-election can't change who runs the council, but it can easily change Labour's attitude.
"You could even vote for me. I'm an EU citizen who made Tooting home, settled down and just wants our area to be a bit safer, cleaner and greener. A truly popular front."
The leaflet, branded in red, was titled "Freedom for Tooting", a nod to 1970s sitcom Citizen Smith which starred Robert Lindsay as "Wolfie" - the self-proclaimed leader of the revolutionary Tooting Popular Front.
A Labour source said: "So the Tories do support strikes, voter strikes."
Tooting Broadway residents will go to the polls on Thursday, January 18, to replace Wandsworth Labour councillor Kate Forbes who stood down to take a job with London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Ms Forbes' partner and MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan's Head of Office, Sean Lawless, is running to take her place.
A spokesman for Tooting Labour said: "It's no surprise to see the Conservative candidate hiding his true colours, he's embarrassed and doesn't want people to know he's a Tory.
"When the Tories ran Wandsworth Council, they continually blocked investment in Tooting. They have nothing positive to say and their candidate refuses to reveal any of his views.
"Sean has a plan for Tooting, and will work with the council and local MP to make Tooting safer, cleaner and greener."
The Electoral Commission states that there is nothing in law that requires a party to include their logo on campaign material, and there is also no requirement to specify what colours or branding a party needs to use in their material.
A spokesman for Conservative Campaign HQ refused to comment on the election material but confirmed it is "locally produced literature that CCHQ was not involved in designing or producing".
Mr Jacobsson said: "Labour has let Tooting Broadway down, so I’m asking residents not to vote for them. My letter is a humorous way of approaching some people who may never vote Conservative, although it does ask them to vote for me.
“We only have a by-election because Labour wants a household job-swap. Their councillor quit to work for Sadiq. Her partner is the candidate and works for the Labour MP.
“As the letter says, I’m 'not another Labour careerist'. I’ll actually deliver."
Labour took control of Wandsworth for the first time in 44 years at the 2022 local elections.
More than 400 London Tories campaigned as “Local Conservatives” at the time in a move branded an attempt to distance themselves from the woes of the national party.
