Election round-up: Lib Dem “media and campaigning operation is as slick as a greyhound”, plus fish finger news
Manchester Gorton by-election is off
After some back and forth between the Returning Officer and Parliament, the necessary steps have been taken by Parliament to cancel the Parliamentary by-election which was due. There is no direct legal power for the Returning Officer to cancel a by-election which has been overtaken by a general election being called; Parliament, however, has the power to cancel the writ for the by-election.
Lib Dem “media and campaigning operation is as slick as a greyhound”
Nice words from John Rentoul:
The Lib Dems have a media and campaigning organisation as sleek and fast as a greyhound. It is so slick that journalists were commenting on it last week, saying it was better than Labour’s leaden press operation. Yesterday, the contrast was illuminated in bright searchlights. Within minutes of Theresa May’s election announcement, a response from Tim Farron was emailed to journalists and Farron himself was interviewed moments later…
The Lib Dems, despite being crushed in the last general election, still have a constituency-targeting organisation that is second to none. It did well in the Witney by-election before scoring a stunning success in Richmond Park.
Look away now if you’re a Labour supporter
Is now the time to mention that the polls more often than not over-estimate the Labour general election vote?
Also of relevance:
Fish finger news
Campaigning for the upcoming general election hasn’t even started yet, but this is politics in 2017 – so anything can happen.
That includes a candidate named ‘Mr Fish Finger’ threatening to stand in Westmorland and Lonsdale, the constituency won by Lib Dem leader Farron in 2015.
The reason for this happening is highly scientific – Twitter users said they would rather be led by a fish finger than Farron in an informal poll a few months ago. [Metro]
Stephen Tall threatens to run naked, again
Does he never learn?
Totally naked this time?