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Web site first with verdict

The Advertiser web site broke the news of the jury's verdict to the world. 

Reporter Lucy Millard telephoned the Advertiser news desk, and within two minutes of Jones and Whicher being found guilty, the front page of the site had been changed.

The Guardian highlighted the Advertiser's success.

Its report from Newark on Saturday said: "Beneath the solid Georgian frontages of Newark's market place, the news of Fiona Jones's downfall came via the latest 20th Century technology.

"At Porter's Provisions, the verdict flashed up on the Newark Advertiser web site on the in-store PC, and within minutes the news was on its way round the stallholders."

Central Television also showed the Advertiser web site's front page.

An Advertiser spokesman said: "We were determined to beat the national news media and we succeeded.

"As far as we could tell, the BBC web site were next to have the news on line, and they were about four minutes behind us."

The number of visits to the Advertiser site set a new daily record.

A collection of all Advertiser news and court reports dealing with the case is being prepared, and will be made permanently available for downloading from the site.

The site's address is www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk. 

 

Diary of a downfall

September 15, 1995: Fiona Jones attended her first Newark constituency Labour Party executive meeting after being selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate.

March 17, 1997: Conservative Prime Minister Mr John Major announced a May 1 General Election date to signal a six-week campaign.

April 7, 1997: Shadow Environment Minister Mr Michael Meacher was on the campaign trail and visited Labour's Paxton's Court office in Newark.

April 18, 1997: Rows of Labour election signs flanked the perimeter of Caledonian Mining on the A1 as former Newark Conservative Association president Mr Colin MacLeod declared he was backing Labour - it later emerged he gave £10,000 to the East Midlands Labour Party for use in Newark.

May 1, 1997: Labour and Mrs Jones overturn an 8,229 Conservative majority to finish winners by 3,011 votes in the General Election.

June 4, 1997: Mrs Jones and her agent Mr Des Whicher sign a declaration that the the election expenses return are a complete and correct return as required by law.

June 20, 1997: Liberal Democrat candidate Mr Peter Harris first raises concerns in the Advertiser about the financial running of Labour's General Election campaign in Newark. His doubts over the claim it cost £350 to run the Paxton's Court office during the six-week campaign are dismissed by Labour as sour grapes.

August 22, 1997: The Advertiser reveals Mrs Jones criticised the Newark town Labour branch for not working hard enough in the campaign. The report confirmed telephone canvassing had taken place.

November 28, 1997: Fraud Squad officers from Nottinghamshire Police visit Kelham Hall to investigate Labour's declared expenses following a complaint by Mr Harris.

January 22, 1998: Mrs Jones is the last of the 242 new MPs to make her maiden speech in Parliament.

February 27, 1998: Police said Mrs Jones and Mr Whicher would be interviewed by the Fraud Squad as part of the inquiry and a file of evidence was being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service.

March 12, 1998: Mrs Jones is interviewed at Charing Cross Police Station.

March 30, 1998: Fraud Squad officers submit their file to the Crown Prosecution Service.

April 23, 1998: It is announced that Mrs Jones and Mr Whicher will be prosecuted under the Representation of the People Act 1983 which governs election law. Their first appearance before Nottingham magistrates is scheduled for May.

August 6, 1998: Mrs Jones and Mr Whicher are committed to stand trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

February 23, 1999: The trial begins.

March 19, 1999: Mrs Jones and Mr Whicher are convicted on unanimous verdicts of knowingly falsifying election expenses.

Mrs Jones was ordered to carry out 100 hours community service and disqualified from Parliament. Mr Whicher was fined £750.

March 22, 1999: House of Commons speaker Miss Betty Boothroyd declares the Newark seat vacant to pave the way for a by-election.

March 23, 1999: Newark Constituency Labour Party is suspended allowing Labour to run the by-election nationally. The suspension also allows party officials to impose candidates in the Newark and Sherwood District Council elections in May. Mr Whicher's council seat is declared vacant.

 

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