A SCOTTISH Tory activist campaigning ahead of a crucial by-election has been caught on camera apparently removing other parties’ leaflets from a private close.
CCTV footage shared online and with The National seems to show an activist enter a building with a dog, collect up and pocket campaign materials, and leave again. The video shows yellow-coloured leaflets being taken.
The National was told that campaign material from the SNP, the Greens, and an independent was found in the bins outside.
Locals allege the activist in the video is Linn Kleinman, the wife of the Tories’ candidate in the by-election: Robin Kleinman.
A tweet posted by the local Stirling Tories group, showing Linn Kleinman (below right) on the campaign trail on the same day the CCTV footage was recorded, has since been deleted.
Another tweet from the Stirling Tories, showing Robin Kleinman posing alongside a large black Newfoundland – suspected to be the same dog as appears in the CCTV footage, has also since been deleted.
Linn Kleinman – with an address in Bridge of Allan – is listed as being the membership secretary of The Newfoundland Club on its website.
Robin Kleinman is standing for election in the Dunblane and Bridge of Allan ward of Stirling Council. The seat was made vacant after SNP councillor Graham Houston passed away in December.
As it stands, both the SNP and the Tories have seven seats on Stirling Council, meaning the winner of the by-election will become the largest group.
However, Labour control Stirling Council after striking a deal with the Conservatives in the wake of the 2022 local elections.
For political leaflets delivered by mail, the Postal Services Act 2000, which applies UK-wide, states: “A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, he … intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post.”
It is not known if the leaflets which were allegedly taken were delivered by post or by other parties' activists.
The Scottish Conservatives have been approached for comment.
