Phil Woolas's 'political suicide'

In September The Telegraph reported that Phil Woolas had said that:

'he and his campaign team never thought of telling lies about his closest general election rival, the Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins.

...

Mr Woolas denied that he had falsely claimed Mr Watkins was courting the vote of Islamic extremists who had allegedly made death threats against Mr Woolas.

He said: “My view was that the local Lib Dem party was trying to get support from the side of the spectrum which was being persuaded by those views. By their wooliness on the issue they were giving succour to that vote.

“I saw it as pandering to these votes.”

He denied his claims that Mr Watkins's silence on the issue amounted to an attack on his personal conduct.

"It was not an attack on Mr Watkins, it was an attack on Mr Watkins's political strategy," he replied.

"I do not think he should have needed an invitation (to condemn the extremists). I think it was politically naive of him. If there were leaflets going round saying 'BNP support Phil Woolas', I would say I do not want this support."

The MP said the militant threat in the run-up to the election was genuine and he stood up against it with the strong support of mainstream Muslims.

"There was a fear of violence, there were reports of scuffles, there was an attack on a Labour candidate," he said.

"My strategy was to mobilise mainstream Muslims and the white community against the extremists and to do that I had to highlight it to the white community.

"The Asian community were urging me, by and large, to highlight what they saw as a slur on them."

His counsel, Gavin Millar QC, asked whether an email from his election agent which questioned whether they "could get away" with focusing on Muslim extremists in one of his election leaflets was a legal reference.

Mr Woolas replied: "The idea that I set out to break the law never came into our minds. It would be political suicide, as well as wrong."'

Today I read on the BBC that:

'Two High Court judges have ordered a re-run of this year's General Election campaign in the Lancashire constituency of ex-immigration minster Phil Woolas.'

'Political suicide' Mr Woolas? Maybe Phil Woolas will not stand again after this embarrassment; but then do Labour politicians have any shame? Actually can he stand again? Does anyone know that bit of electoral law?

Also does Ed Miliband have questions to answer having appointed Phil Woolas to his shadow cabinet whilst the matter was still before the courts?

Also note how the BBC article, currently, does not use the word 'guilty' to describe Phil Woolas, just that the court 'heard' the issues relating to the leaflets and the election has to be 're-run'. Why so protective of Mr Woolas BBC?