Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, is challenging the man who is bidding to win the seat for the Conservatives, Andrew Stephenson, to get his Pendle Matters newspaper printed in the constituency he hopes to represent in Parliament.

In the latest issue of his tabloid newspaper, Stephenson urges all his readers to shop locally. He omits to tell them his newspaper is printed in Guildford, Surrey.

The MP has tabled a Commons motion which will appear in the Order Paper tomorrow. In it, he invites Stephenson to disclose how much he pays for his publication and invite all local printers to respond with better quality and price offers. The MP claims there are over 20 printing companies in the Pendle and Burnley area and urges Mr Stephenson to shop locally and to contact each one to get a quote.

Speaking from Westminster, the MP said: "It is a classic case of "do as I say" rather than "do as I do". Pendle Matters has been flooding my Pendle constituency for three years. He says Pendle Matters is not funded by the taxpayer. Too right. On his own admission, he is a man bankrolled by the tax exile, Lord Ashcroft."

"His campaign is awash with money."

"The very least he can do is to get his newspapers printed in Pendle."

Note to Editors: The MP's Commons motion reads:

This House notes that Andrew Stephenson, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Pendle, is using his Pendle Matters newspaper to urge people to "shop local"; regrets that Pendle Matters, which has been delivered free by the Royal Mail to all 37,000 households in Pendle over the past three years, is printed in Guildford, Surrey; applauds his view that there are in Pendle many fantastic local independent retailers, offering great goods and services and "if we don’t use them we will lose them"; but is bemused by his statement that he has been unable to find a printer in Burnley or Pendle who can come even close to what he is currently being charged; believes the solution is for Mr Stephenson to disclose how much he pays for his publication and invite all local printers to respond with better quality and price offers; notes that there are over 20 printing companies in the Pendle and Burnley area and invites Mr Stephenson to shop locally and to contact each one to get a quote.

Gordon Prentice MP

Ann Cryer MP

and others