Lib Dems doctor Golden Globes pictures of Kate Winslet for their conference brochure
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:39 PM on 08th March 2009
The Liberal Democrats doctored a picture of Kate Winslet at the Golden Globes for their conference brochure, it has emerged.
Winslet was made to look like she was on the red carpet of the party's Council Awards which were hosted at its conference in Yorkshire on Friday night.
But in fact, the picture used was simply one of her at the awards ceremony in the U.S. earlier this year with the hoarding behind her altered.
The colour picture was used prominently in the Lib Dems' conference agenda brochure, which was also free to download from its website.
Its use is all the more embarrassing for the party because leader Nick Clegg is friends with Winslet's husband, director Sam Mendes, according to the Independent.
A message was also included on the image, declaring: 'Winning is emotional', in reference to the actresses' tearful speech at the Golden Globes in January.
Winslet, 33, won two awards at the ceremony for performances in The Reader and Revolutionary Road and gave a very rambling, tearful address.
Her spokesman said: 'They did not request permission to use the image and, so far, Kate has not been made aware of its use. I am not aware of her political position.'
Kate Winslet
A Lib Dem spokesman said the party had believed it could use modern figures in current affairs adverts.
But legal experts cited by the Independent said the actress might be able to sue the party for false endorsement.
A spokesman from the local Lib Dem government group behind the advert dismissed it as a 'humorous piece for a fairly low-key event'.
He insisted it was not designed to indicate Winslet was a Lib Dem supporter and said the party was 'more than happy' to make it clear that was not the case.
Both series attract different kinds of people and both series have their good points and their bad points. Nobody's going to win.
