An unbearable excitement

As we embark on the general election of a generation, I am hoping to keep up with the local opposition, I’m sure this will be a rewarding exercise. So much so that I will reveal the results on this blog. As regards the opposition, who do we know will be standing? Current MP Robert Goodwill I am sure will be the Tory candidate. The Green Party have decided not to field a candidate, citing a shortage of funds as being central to their decision but also indicating tacit support for Labour’s Hugo Fearnley. That’s a definite plus for Labour.

​The Lib Dems have adopted somebody called Graham Lockwood as PPC for the Scarborough & Whitby constituency. According to a report on their Facebook page “It was a cold, wet afternoon but despite this; nineteen people attended. This was a very good turn-out and it was great to see so many of you.” Nineteen people? So many of them? For the newly energised LibDems under thrusting, dynamic leader Jo Swinson? Not such a good start. Mr Lockwood (a Google search reveals) has a background in the motor sports industry and the oil industry, which no doubt informs his environmental campaigning—he suggests he helped lead the local anti-fracking campaign. He stood in last May’s local elections, and came fourth, behind the Greens and well behind the Tories who took the rural ward without difficulty. On the LibDem website I wanted to find out if there were any events planned. 

Here is a screenshot for this month. Perhaps Graham is still wondering why so few people turned up to his selection meeting. Is Graham the same person who stood for the LibDems last time as Robert Lockwood? Perhaps they’re related? With just 2.7% of the 2017 general election vote, the LibDems easily lost their deposit. I don’t think we’ll see Jo coming to town.

According to the Yorkshire Post somebody called Robert Andersen is standing for the Brexit Party. A search online has so far revealed nothing about this deluded chap. I thought I was getting close when the words ‘Andersen’ and ‘Brexit’ brought up this headline: ‘Meaningful goats: Brexit picture book hits the farm.’ Could this refer to Mr Andersen’s possible central role in developing a Brexit handbook for the party’s members? It turns out not, it is merely a picture book published by an outfit call Andersen Press which follows what happens to ducks and geese who formerly lived in harmony then decided they didn’t want other animals visiting their island, so decided on destroying the bridge and consequently fell out with each other. In other words, a children’s picture book designed to poison the minds of our little ones. Probably funded by the E.U. So far the local UKIP crowd (sic) have yet to make an announcement. Their latest info still relates to last May’s local elections, where their candidates were referred to as ‘Batten’s Brigade.’ As is the UKIP tradition, the ‘brigade’ is once again leaderless. Batten (their erstwhile leader) had less batten than berg. Sorry.
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There may be other candidates. Last time there were eight. Apart from Labour and the Tories, they all lost their deposits. This is strictly a two-way marginal.

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