Vote old git and other stories

There is little that's more exciting than council elections, I'm sure you'll agree. It's sad that the turnout will be a little under 100% but I suppose they'll always be a few who come down with flu, have accidentally locked themselves into the house or are simply too stupid to vote. Luckily these people are few and far between.

Here are a few stories about the local elections that caught my eye from round the country;

Vote old git: the particularly annoying story that the BNP have stood their first ever candidate in Colchester (EADT). The candidate remarks “I would not class myself as a racist - but if the dear Lord wanted us to integrate, he would have made us the same colour and given us the same way of thinking.”

Frankly the ward where he's standing, Highwoods, is shit enough already without adding the BNP to it. My friend Tim remarked that he was going for the old git vote essentially moaning about kids, darkies and the buses. Git is one word for him.

Vote Gant: Labour's Jim Gant in Western Ward in Swindon forgot how to spell his own name on his election literature according to the Adver. Sorry, that's Grant. Not the most brilliant of starts to any campaign I'm sure he'll agree.

Vote Tesco: The local Tory leaflet came through my door the other day. It's a high quality leaflet and rather clever, which surprised me because the Tories have essentially deserted Cambridge for more fertile territory. As of last year they have no councillors, at all, in Cambridge. That in a town where they used to have the MP and the council.

The leaflet's clever because the biggest local issue round here is Tesco, however, being politicians they can't say something as incredibly unpopular as coming out in favour of it - and because it is the big issue they can't even ignore it. So they've come up with quite a nuanced ruse - they've criticised the LibDems (who hold this seat) for being slow to make the decision. A quarter of their leaflet is taken up with how tardy the Lib Dems are. On the quality of the decision itself... they have left that an open question. However, it would not be entirely unfair to say that they are the only pro-Tesco party on the ballot paper so if that's what you want vote Tory.

Vote Adultery: Meanwhile in Greater Manchester one man is having his moment in the spotlight ruined by the fact that his son has decided to run against him in the local election. Tory candidate Richard Clayton probably thought it would all blow over when he left his wife and moved in with a new partner across the street. However his son, also Richard, was so hurt by the affair and thoughtlessness of his father's choice of new home he's decided to hurt him in the only place that'll matter in the ballots, ruining his chances of getting onto the council. Good luck Rich.

If any readers have spotted any interesting non-London council elections stories please do send them in.