Salma Yaqoob - Respect Party - Birmingham Hall Green

Of the smaller left-wing parties, the Respect Party seems to be well organised and campaign savvy. When Salma Yaqoob appears on Question Time she quite often gets those who probably wouldn't think of supporting her do exactly that. This is particularly so of the Iraq War and New Labour's military shinanigans. Her campaign is this time concentrated on the enlarged Hall Green constituency. Last time, 2005, she did very well in the old Sparkbrook division. But I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest she is in with a fighting chance of winning this seat. One thing the voters won't get is a woman of quiet mind. So they may opt for a star rather than a sparkler.

I give Salma Yaqoob's Campaign Site a Voter Friendly 5/10 for Election Information.

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Mark Ashwell - Independent - Wokingham

My eye has caught the website of Mark Ashwell. He is standing as an Independent in Wokingham against John Redwood. What makes the difference in 2010 is that a person like Mark takes the campaign seriously. The internet gives him a better chance than ever before. With Twitter as well! Gone are the days of Bill Boaks on his bicycle contraption. This is voter choice with a vengeance.

How will Mark do? I don't know, but his lie detector tests for would-be politicians could liven up the election. Perhaps the three main party leaders could be offered a test before the televised debates?

I give Mark Ashwell's Campaign Site a Voter Friendly 6/10 for Election Information.

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General Election 2010 - The Campaign starts!

Seeing as the General Election is now under way I thought I'd use this "second" blog of mine (it's been in a kind of hibernation) as a pick of the candidates election campaign websites and take a different look at the election. Whilst the BBC and other media groups will be concentrating on the three main parties, I will include some of the best sites on the internet at the moment.

This campaign will be interesting for several reasons. First, we could get a "hung" parliament. Or we may get a party winning the popular vote but losing the seat count in the House of Commons. The largest grouping may yet be the Abstentionists. They could muster an armchair army of over one third of the electorate. Then there could be sizeable votes for the minor parties. Could they achieve 20% between them?

So far the indications show that this election will have a bumper crop of candidates. The last straight fight was in the dim and distant past. This election will seem a poor show if a consituency can't provide at least six candidates for the voters to choose from. It will be four weeks of electoral fun, political showmanship and nerve-racking involvement with those very people who have been so frustrated by it all this past year - The Electorate!

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