Leaflet Error in Somerset Village Prompts Lib Dem Apology

In a surprising mix-up, the Liberal Democrats in a Somerset village mistakenly identified Hossein Pirooz, a narrowly defeated candidate, as a sitting councillor on recently distributed leaflets.

Pirooz lost the Saltford council seat by just four votes in a tightly contested Bath and North East Somerset Council by-election held in January 2025. However, over a year later, Lib Dem campaigners circulated a leaflet titled “Cllr Duncan Hounsell & Cllr Hossein Pirooz’s local survey,” inaccurately presenting him as an incumbent.

The true outcome of the by-election saw independent candidate Chris Warren secure the seat alongside Councillor Duncan Hounsell. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson explained that the leaflet distribution was an “office error” affecting no more than 120 homes out of Saltford’s 2,221 residences. Upon discovering the mistake, the party promptly withdrew the leaflets and issued two formal apologies to Councillor Warren on March 31.

The survey included in the leaflets asked residents about local concerns, evaluations of the Liberal Democrat-led council’s performance, and voting preferences in the 2025 by-election. That election was notably the closest in the council’s history and marked by unusual events, including a Reform UK candidate nearly having to shave off a beard due to a bet related to the Liberal Democrats holding the seat.

Additionally, the 2025 election campaign was marked by controversy when Chris Warren distanced himself from an X (formerly Twitter) account posting offensive material targeting local authorities and minorities. Warren suggested the images were taken without permission and claimed to have been the victim of trolling. The contentious account was deleted shortly after his victory.

The next scheduled elections for Bath and North East Somerset Council will take place in May 2027, as the political landscape in Saltford continues to evolve following the close and eventful by-election.