(Email received today from the Celtic League)

Thank you for your generous donation to fund the campaign in Camborne & Redruth to ban secret lobbying. Despite having approved the advert in principle on Tuesday, I’m afraid The Western Morning News has now refused to publish it. I’m really fed up about this. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do.

Our campaign to ban secret lobbying will continue. With the media scared of legal threats from Mr Eustice, we’re going to launch a people-powered campaign to distribute the advert by email, blog, facebook and twitter. Below, you can see the launch email,  which I’ll be sending out shortly. It’s a set-back not to be able to run the ad, but we always knew our main strength was people power and I’m sure we’ll be able to spread the word and keep up the pressure that way.

Given you donated specifically to fund an ad which we can’t run, I’ll obviously make sure your money is refunded if you would like it to be. Otherwise, your donation will be put towards other parts of our campaign to ban secret lobbying – including some online advertising about George Eustice,  targeting voters in Cornwall. It’s up to you. You can request a refund by replying to this email or calling one of the staff team on 020 7611 4728.

Thank you, and sorry again that we can’t run the ad.

David
Executive Director
38 Degrees

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Our “ban secret lobbying” advert has been refused. Despite originally approving the ad, The Western Morning News lawyers decided yesterday that the threat of legal action from the former lobbyist and spin-doctor, George Eustice, is too high.

Our ad isn’t controversial, it simply presented the facts. We showed that in Camborne & Redruth George Eustice is the only election candidate refusing to back a ban of secret lobbying.

With the media too scared of legal action we only have one option left: people-power. If we work together we can make sure plenty of voters go to the polls knowing the facts.

Together let’s make sure every voter in Camborne & Redruth knows the truth. Please sign the petition to George urging him to back a ban of secret lobbying, then forward this email to everyone you know in Cornwall to make sure they see the ad.

View the ad and sign the petition here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c05fae/2d465d0d/58d23b35/4674e83c/3892043493/VEsH/

Across the UK 38 Degrees members have demanded a ban on secret lobbying. At the moment big business can spend millions on lobbying to change government policy in their favour – and we have no right to know what’s happening. New rules for lobbyists would help clean up politics and make politicians work for us. Across the country we’ve got hundreds of election candidates to back a ban. Former lobbyist George Eustice sticks out as someone who’ll do all he can to block these new rules. Together we can make it harder and harder for him to stick to this position.

Please sign the petition to George Eustice then forward this email to your friends and family in Cornwall:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/camborne

Thanks for getting involved,

David, Hannah, Johnny, Nina and the 38 Degrees team

Heartlands, the £32 million Big Lottery funded regeneration project in the heart of Pool, will be holding a public consultation event on Friday, January 29 at The Hub Club on Station Road, Pool.

Members of the public are being invited to attend the event, which is taking place from 11am until 8pm. Representatives from the Heartlands project team will be available to answer any questions about the revised plans for the 7.5 hectare site.