Hackney South Conservative responds to conflict of interest claim

Blood and Property received this email from Simon Nayyar - Hackney South and Shoreditch candidate for the Conservative Party - in response to this article: Darren Caplan and Simon Nayyar... is this criticism fair? (Link to Darren Caplan's response is here.)

Simon Nayyar wrote: "I should be happy if you would post the following response on your blog so that readers can know exactly where I stand on this issue:

1. I am totally and unambiguously committed to supporting small businesses in Hackney South & Shoreditch. Because of Labour's disastrous management of the economy and lack of empathy with their needs, small businesses in Hackney have really suffered over the past few years. They deserve the support of all of us: for it is small businesses that will power Hackney out of recession and generate the jobs that Hackney desperately needs.

2. I support the role that larger companies can play to generate wealth, create jobs and, through the corporation tax that they pay, help reduce Britain's national debt which, thanks to Labour's reckless spending, is now at record levels. A diverse economy needs a diverse range of businesses to provide consumers with the choice they want and have a right to expect. I do not see supermarkets posing a threat to small businesses. On the contrary, supermarkets and small businesses alike can play an important part in generating jobs in Hackney South & Shoreditch which, because of Labour's policies locally, has one of the highest levels of joblessness in London.

3. I do not personally advise ASDA or any other supermarket chain.

4. It is a matter of record that I work for a public affairs business. I have never made any attempt to hide the fact. On the contrary, my website specifically says that this is the kind of work that I do: http://www.simonnayyar.com/index/aboutsimon.

5. The business I work for seeks to be entirely transparent about the clients that it advises and, as such, voluntarily subscribes to the Code of Conduct and Register of the Association of Professional Political Consultants: www.appc.org.uk

6. I believe that public service is a privilege. Unlike the Labour MP, Meg Hillier, I have already publicly stated that, if I am elected on 6 May, I do not intend to claim for parliamentary expenses. Also, unlike Meg Hillier, I will make immediate arrangements to move to live in the constituency.

Simon Nayyar
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Hackney South & Shoreditch
020 8144 4458

www.simonnayyar.com

Darren Caplan, Simon Nayyar - is this criticism fair?

This story was posted on 1st April (it doesn't look like an April fool) on Yahoo News: Move over MPs expenses, there's a new scandal in town

It says: "Hackney South and Shoreditch Conservative candidate Simon Nayyar is campaigning on a ‘save our local shops' ticket. Meanwhile, the company for which he is head lobbyist, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, represents Asda, owned by US giant Walmart - aka the company that killed off local shops in America." To check Spinprofiles

"Darren Caplan is standing in neighbouring Hackney North and Stoke Newington and, like Nayyar, he is spearheading a "support local businesses" campaign, "so those out of work have more opportunities to find new jobs." Also in common with Nayyar, he heads up lobbying for the PR firm Brands2Life, whose clients include Tesco, the friend of local business!" and B2L seems to confirm this

On this website Caplan says: "The B2L Public Affairs practice is headed by me, Darren Caplan. I have extensive political and influencer campaigning experience in Westminster and local/regional politics." Probably a very normal lobbyists CV, but what influencing has he been doing in "local/regional politics"?

Cameron rally in Hackney South - why?

Tory blog: London Spin, then the Hackney Post (the newspaper of City University post graduate students - which is now back in action after a year off?) and Press Association - reported the appearance of David Cameron in Hackney South.

But why Hackney South? The last time David Cameron and Hackney were so closely linked was back in January when when some of his giant posters were defaced: Hackney responds to David Cameron

Otherwise, as far as I can see, Hackney's Conservative group hasn't got any South Hackney-based councillors and its been a Labour seat since it was created in 1974.

May be it has got something to do with Hackney South Conservative candidate Simon Nayyar: http://www.simonnayyar.com or was it just a suitable venue?

All sides set for spinning

PR Week reports on the activities of Hackney's two Conservative parliamentary candidates, Darren Caplan and Simon Nayyar (may still be contesting). Both PR men. B2L Public Affairs director and Citigate Dewe Rogerson Public Policy MD respectively. Both joined another PR man, David Cameron, as he delivered his keynote speech in Brighton.

They are up against former press officers Meg Hillier and Diane Abbott. And then there's Jules Pipe, former sub editor. Does this impressive media/communications headcount mean lots of spinning can be expected?