Tories accuse Labour over Howard web sites

Shadow Industry and Technology Minister Michael Fabricant has accused Labour of planning a 'desperate dirty tricks campaign', claiming the party has registered three web sites in the name of opposition leader Michael Howard.

He claims the sites - www.michaelhowardmp.org, www.michaelhowardmp.net and www.michaelhowardmp.org.uk - which are not active, are registered to the Labour Party, with details attributed to the party's E-Campaign manager Kate McCarthy.

'I believe the plan was to launch a dirty tricks campaign,' said Fabricant. 'How desperate have they become?'

Fabricant says the practice of 'cyber-squatting' is contrary to Government policy and claims the practice 'exposes Labour as cyber-hypocrites'.

He points to a written Commons reply from Trade and Industry Minister Michael O'Brien in which the minister labelled the practice 'pre-emptive bad faith registration' - yet the Labour Party appeared to be guilty itself.

Fabricant further states that the Electoral Commission criticised cyber-squatting in a report as 'the malicious registration of internet domain names for financial gain or, in some cases, political gain.'

The report said it was important voters could identify genuine campaign material from parties.

A Tory spokesman said Labour's aim was to be able to misrepresent themselves as Mr Howard, in the run up to the widely expected general election next May.

The official Tory leader's site is www.michaelhowardmp.com.