A number of residents of Nunthorpe, that well-heeled, leafy outer suburb of Middlesbrough, have been confused by an election email sent to them literally out of the Blue.
Conservative, Jacob Young MP has sent his election emails far and wide – even across the boundaries of a neighbouring constituency, so keen is he to win voters. The emails are sent not from the parliamentary email system but from Young’s own website.
One of the recipients is Jon Rathmell, a former independent councillor on Middlesbrough Council. He posted on Twitter/X, addressing Young:
“I don’t live in your constituency, are you trying to poach @SimonClarkeMP ‘s constituents? Either way I’m not voting for a @Conservative been a total disaster”
Young has even sent the same email (seen by North East Bylines) to Anna Turley, the former Redcar MP and Young’s Labour opponent in July’s General Election.
Which all begs the question: where did Jacob Young obtain the email addresses?
Redcar and Cleveland Councillor Carl Quartermain also posted on Twitter/X:
“Oh dear. This looks like the result of 5 years of data reaping from everywhere and anywhere and using that data for reach. Is it GDPR compliant? If you don’t know why you’re suddenly being contacted I’d say not.”
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