A Monster Vote is on the cards or in the tea leaves!

Every political party is in on the act. This is one of the Monster Raving Loony Party's election videos.



And this is the other! For all good protesters.

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Sam Cam on the Terrible Channel Flicker!

We are going to get more of these YouTube offerings. Can you imagine Dorothy Macmillan giving a frank interview about "Harry"? Sam is speaking about Dave. I may be wrong, but I suspect he took a while to get used to being called Dave. Even the electorate hasn't gone that far!

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Esther Rantzen - Independent - Luton South

One topic that won't go away at this election will be MPs' expenses. Whilst the main three parties will be hoping all that is either under the carpet or well out in the open air and blown away, the minor parties and independents will be stoking it up. One such will be Esther Rantzen. Offering herself as an Independent to the voters of Luton South, Ms Rantzen is providing a serious campaign based on openness, accessibilty and a promise to abide by the highest standards of transparency and integrity. Luton South voters know they had a dose of opaqueness and a lack of transparency in their existing member.

Esther Rantzen's campaign is hard to judge. She may do reasonably well, but I suggest a deposit retention is nearer the mark than an outright win.

I give Esther Rantzen's Campaign Site a Voter Friendly 4/10 for Election Information.

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Nigel Farage - UK Independence Party - Buckingham

Nigel Farage is probably the best known UKIP member and the people of Buckingham will be getting to know him quite well over the next four weeks. Farage says, "Speaker John Bercow has turned his back on his principles and now his own Conservative Party has turned it's back on him. The political class does not listen and are not addressing the local and national issues that people care about. Buckingham needs a Voice not a Speaker". One thing Nigel Farage has got is a voice. In some ways his political oratorial skills are almost matching those of George Galloway. Nobody in Buckingham will be able to complain they haven't heard about UKIP's policies. The Voice will let them know all right!

I give Nigel Farage's Campaign Site a Voter Friendly 7/10 for Election Information.

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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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