Serious question.

I know that they will have weighty legal advice and vetting etc, but given some of the claims and counter claims that circulate during (any) election campaign…

… surely some must be slanderous?

As an example – Every Tory spokesperson over the last week or more has included a line on how Labour have fecked the economy – even where not applicable to the topic being discussed. It's the old get a subliminal message across – represent something as a fact enough times and it will be taken as a fact.

This makes me really irate – I am NOT a Labour supporter, but it strikes me as either clearly untrue or at least a gross misrepresentation to state as if a fact that LAbour have been the cause of the current economic crisis.

So – do the slander / libel laws exist but nobody enforces, or do politicians have an official dispensation to lie?

not in public they don't but in the Commons they enjoy something called Parliamentary Privilege, which yes, gives them the right to slander left right and centre with immunity.

I reckon you won't get any actions as they're all as bad as one another.

considering what utter billcr@p gets reported in most of the press slander/libel suits should be going out left right and centre

the whole of the media /political circus is a joke as regards to honesty and truthfulness

Parliamentary Privilege, which yes, gives them the right to slander left right and centre with immunity.

Yet they aren't allowed to acuse another of lying within the house…. I guess that would give the game away

… surely some must be slanderous?

Most of it isn't "lies", it's essentially a matter of opinion/faitr comment and part of the game. Also, resorting to the courts would be a terrible move politically. If someone has claimed you had an illegitimate child/were a member of Combat 18/stole money from constituents that would be one thing, but suing someone who had claimed you'd not been a success in government would completely destroy your credibility.

Iirc it's an offence (in parliamentary terms) to mislead the house and quite right too.

Otherwise…it's politics ffs! Do you think they are likely to say "you did do rather well didn't you"?

What Big Dummy says. Fair commment / opinion is allowed.

Also, it is a criminal offence under the Representation of the People Act 1983 to make or publish a false statement of fact about the personal character or conduct of an election candidate. The purpose of making or publishing this false statement must be seen to be to affect how many votes the candidate will get.

This applies between the dissolution of Parliament and the election. So personal remarks need to be treated carefully, whereas statements about policy or record are usually going to be fair game.