A row has broken out over an ex-Tory MP being photoshopped in to a picture of local people campaigning about a dangerous road junction in north London.
David Burrowes, who represented Enfield Southgate until he lost his seat to Labour in 2017, was last month pictured protesting with local Conservatives ... or was he?
The Enfield Independent reported that the local conservative group first sent the picture of the campaigners to illustrate its efforts to lobby for traffic islands at the junction.
In the picture above, Burrowes is pictured on the left with his Labrador, Cholmeley. The group later sent the image without Burrowes or his dog.
Closer inspection reveals the dog’s hind legs appear to be floating in mid-air in the first picture.
In recent days, the incident – dubbed “Doggate” by the paper – has become a pot-boiler of a political scandal that has engulfed Enfield Southgate’s political Twitterati.
“Who gave the order?” the local Labour group asked, calling the scandal the less-catchy “Burrowes-gate”.
“The public needs to know where this deception originated?”
They pointed the finger at either local Conservative leader, Joanna Laban, or local candidate Jasmine Storry.
Neither have responded but Southgate Labour is not letting the issue go. “Local residents would like to know the truth,” it made clear.
One person who was in the picture told The Evening Standard that Burrowes arrived after it was taken.
Hal Haines said: “I stood for the photograph happily then saw David Burrowes walking up the street.
“My friend and I said we didn’t want to be pictured with him and walked off. Next thing I know there’s a photograph of us all together.”
Enfield Southgate Conservatives have been contacted for comment.
Cholmeley has previously featured in the Westminster Dog Of The Year Competition. Burrowes has described him as a “very important dog”.
“I’ve realised over the years that the children – perhaps actually Margaret Thatcher should have told me this earlier on – are not necessarily the best electoral asset on the doorstep, but the dog is,” Burrowes told ConservativeHome.