EXCLUSIVE: Cam's Tories Tandem With Hizb_ut-Tahrir?

Yes, you read that right. Here in Manchester's Whalley Range ward, home of an unearned but so far solitary Tory council seat, through love rat Faraz "Buzz" Bhatti*, we have reports and known police interest in hot-head and strong arm tactics. And in particular in Hizb_ut-Tahrir ("The Party of Liberation") operating on the coat tails of the Tories. Or is it vice versa?

The story of the election in this ward ought to be the Tories quietly stealing say 600 votes from the doomed Cllr Rev Dr John Grant and Labour's Amina Lone making a second gain in the ward in three years. However this bucolic scene has been replaced with something more revolutionary. Tory/HuT activists are it seems distributing leaflets - alongside very dreary Tory material - leaflets that claim as the main strapline that:

"There are calls to ban the Qu'ran"

And on the QT the style of the Tory/HuT campaign seems a bizarre parallel to the ballot plus bootboy approach of the fascists. Quite a step up from Faraz Bhatti's own campaign in 2007 where as a Lib Dem he did we're told employ some of the same "community liaison" tactics. Though the manners were not quite so heavy.

Police have spent three to four hours today interviewing candidates and agents. The claims being made against the Tory/HuT contingent are that allegedly:

1. Tory/HuT threats to local businesses that they'd "take your business down" if Labour (and Lib Dem?) posters were displayed;
2. Tory/HuT hotheads "Steaming". Running into shops and outlets displaying opponents' posters and cleverly ripping them down and running out again;
3. Tory/HuT hotheads telling voters who identified themselves as opposed or displayed posters in their windows that they must take those posters down and vote Tory. That they would know immediately how their votes were cast. That they would "get them back" if they disobeyed;
4. Tory/HuT hotheads systematically telling the 111 most recent Postal Vote applicants (103 being from muslim families) to "hold on until we call round to help you fill it in";
5. Tory/HuT hotheads giving out firebrand "they want to ban the Qur'an" HuT literature in tandem with anaemic Tory efforts;
6. Tory/HuT hotheads giving grief to non-supportive muslim women - often with their children - in the streets in broad daylight;
7. Tory/HuT hothead women being deployed to intimidate women shop workers while men keep a look out outside.

It surely is a brave new Tory world that has such people in it. Meanwhile all is calm on the surface. With Tory/HuT garden posters outnumbering but scarcely distinguishable from estate agent sale boards.

More on this anon. It sure beats a spat from a Tory-supporting Manager about Amir Khan being on a Labour leaflet. We have Tories hooking up with Taleban on the streets of Whalley Range!

* Faraz "Buzz" Bhatti himself being the upholder of the highest Muslim principles having left his wife and kids for an unbelieving woman. And then embarrassed himself and all concerned by arguing with police when they caught him, er, canoodling, in a public car park and favoured dogging spot near Manchester airport. Sadly he dropped his complaint. If the police were "heavy handed" LOL think they should have been pursued for redress, whatever personal cost.