Labour councillor's own goal trying to score points off Tory opponent

A Labour councillor and parliamentary candidate has made a bizarre call for the Conservative Mayor of Elstree & Borehamwood to apologise for telling a ranty resident that if he doesn't want to take part in the democratic process he should move to a country that isn't a democracy.

Everyone expects opposition politicians to try and make capital out of the mistakes of their opponents but Cllr Richard Butler's demand that Mayor Clive Butchins apologise for his remarks is just ridiculous.

Here's what Butchins said when a resident complained that he'd had a Conservative Party leaflet through his door when everyone knows he doesn't vote Conservative:

No-one is forcing you to read the leaflets but you might learn something if you do. I believe it is a most important part of democracy .

If you don’t want to participate in the democratic process, you should go and live in a country where there isn't a democratic government.

Since making the comment he's been accused of undermining free speech, being patronising and even "bordering on racist". There are no racial overtones whatsoever, nor is it patronising or undermining free speech. This is dirty party politics as its worst and exactly the sort of cheap whimpering behaviour we've all come to expect from a Labour Party that has literally nothing positive to campaign on.

Warrant issued for Conservative ex-councillor

Bournemouth Magistrates Court have issued a warrant for the arrest of a former Conservative councillor who is being pursued by the DWP for alleged benefit fraud.

As a councillor she was earning £9,290 in basic allowances and an extra £1,764 in special responsibility allowances for being on the licensing committee but the DWP say she was claiming benefits that she wasn't entitled to at the same time.

Anniina Davie resigned her seat last February and is believed to have returned to her native Finland. Theresa May is no doubt drafting an EU Arrest Warrant right now to bring this fugitive Tory to justice.

Labour peer warns that working class are abandoning Labour

One of Ed Miliband's former advisers has warned the Labour Party that working class people are defecting to UKIP because Labour has become too middle class.

Lord Glasman told the Times that traditional Labour supporters are worried about immigration and welfare and that Labour need to address those issues if the working class aren't to abandon Labour permanently. He went on to say that the working class Labour vote collapsed in the last general election and that it was middle class voters - those who Tony Blair courted for so many years at the expense of the traditional working class vote - who saved them from bigger embarrassment at the polls.

The Labour middle class vote held up (in 2010). It was the working class vote that died. These are often people who are earning, who have jobs, but they don't see Labour as representing their interests.

UKIP is predicted to come first in next month's EU elections by all the main polling companies.

Lib Dem told to expect loss of all their MEPs

The Lib Dems have been warned by their advisers that they are at risk of losing all 11 of their MEPs in next month's EU elections.

Leaked briefing documents say that coming out of the elections with no MEPs is a realistic option.

One Lib Dem told the Telegraph the idea of them losing all their MEPs was "nonsense" but another said "it is looking like an absolute bloodbath". Lib Dem President, Tim Farron, seems to be resigned to the fact that the party is going to be wiped out in the EU elections.

On an entirely unrelated note, we've just discovered a Tumblr site devoted to pictures of Nick Clegg Looking Sad complete with humorous captions. Sadly it hasn't been updated for a year but perhaps the look on his face as their MEP gradually drops down to zero will inspire the author to revive it.

Tory wannabe councillors in Hillingdon admit discrimination against non-Tory areas

The following email has been distributed on behalf of three Conservative candidates for Hillingdon Council, explaining that wards that don't vote Conservative lose out in funding and improvements from the Conservative-controlled council.

Dear resident,

At the forthcoming Hillingdon Council election on 22nd May, residents have the chance to ensure that Northwood Hills is represented by three Conservative councillors able to influence the Council's Executive decision makers.

The evidence of the past few years clearly shows that in areas that don't elect councillors from the same team, are those who lose out on funding for environmental improvements, road resurfacing and grants to local voluntary groups.

We don't wish to see Northwood Hills placed in such a position and therefore ask you to pledge your support for the three of us, to ensure Northwood Hills speaks as one when key decisions are being taken in the Civic Centre.

Yours etc

Jonathan Bianco, Duncan Flynn John Morgan

Show your support for the Northwood Hills Conservatives by replying to this email saying 'We are definitely voting Bianco, Flynn & Morgan for Northwood Hills'.

Britain First allowed to use Lee Rigby's name on ballot papers

The Electoral Commission has apologised to the family of murdered soldier Lee Rigby after allowing the extremist Britain First Party to use the slogan "Remember Lee Rigby" on ballot papers in Wales.

The anti-Islam party, which has links to the BNP, EDL and English Democrats, is only contesting EU elections in Wales and Scotland and has a different slogan registered for Scotland so most people will be spared from their opportunist propaganda.

UKIP is the only party to ban past and present members of Britain First and other racist parties and organisation from joining.

UKIP first for EU elections in YouGov poll

YouGov have UKIP in the lead for the EU elections next month.

UKIP's vote share is always depressed in YouGov polls so coming first in one of them 4 weeks before an election is really encouraging, especially when the media are devoting so much time and effort to trying to undermine the party.

Party	%
UKIP	31%
Lab	28%
Con	19%

Tory councillor calls himself "Sir" for 19 years

A Conservative Councillor in Cornwall has been calling himself an MBE for 19 years despite never actually having a knighthood.

Cllr Terry Wilkins claims to have been hoaxed 19 years ago by a colleague in the police force who gave him a fake letter and medal telling him he had been given an MBE.

He has also been telling people that he has a 2:1 degree in Health & Wellness pending from the Open University who say they have no idea who he is.

Labour candidate in Harrow a convicted benefits cheat

One of Labour's candidates for this year's elections to Harrow Council has been exposed as a benefits fraudster.

Yogalingam Dayanamby admitted defrauding Harrow Council out of over £800 after failing to declare the fact that he owned a second home when claiming benefits in 2007. He was convicted of fraud, tagged and given a curfew.

The local Labour Party claim not to have known about Dayanamby's past but searching for his rather distinctive name in Google turns up details of his conviction right at the top of the page, beneath his LinkedIn profile. Surely the first thing any responsible political party does is research potential candidates before adopting them to make sure they aren't known convicted criminals?

The local Tories are making the most of it, pointing out that one Labour councillor in Harrow has been caught with indecent images of children and another attempting to fraudulently cash £10k worth of cheques from a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer. However, only last year the Tory MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman, denounced the Conservative-run council as an "exploitative regime". Harrow residents who want a change from the corrupt Tory/Labour pantomime in Harrow will be able to vote UKIP in most wards in the local elections in a few weeks.

Lib Dem Councillor resigns over £1,200 charity theft

Lib Dem Cllr Peter Brock has announced his resignation from Yeovil Town Council after being convicted of stealing £1,200 from the local branch of the Royal British Legion.

Brock, who has been suspended by the local Lib Dem group, said his was ashamed and embarrassed by his actions.

There are no front page stories about this in the national press or 24 hour rolling coverage by the news channels like there is when a UKIP councillor is involved but I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Anti-UKIP protesters protesting outside wrong building in Dudley

Spare a thought for these poor anti-UKIP protesters standing out in the rain in Dudley waiting to wave their placards at Nigel Farage, only to realise 15 minutes later that they were protesting outside the wrong building!

YouGov predict five Welsh Assembly seats for UKIP

A YouGov poll has predicted five Welsh Assembly seats for UKIP in 2016 at the expense of the Lib Dems, Labour and the Tories.

The poll, which also predicts the loss of Plaid Cymru's only MEP, predicts Labour and the Tories losing one seat each to UKIP on the regional list and the Lib Dems losing three to become the fifth party in the Senedd after UKIP.

A lot can happen between now and the 2016 elections but this is encouraging. All that is needed to capitalise on this early poll result is a coherent policy on the Welsh government that the public can vote for and we could see UKIP representation at all levels of government by 2016 (except the Scottish Parliament of course).

Former UKIP MEP trying to trick voters into backing protest party

Former UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass, who left the party in a huff after being deselected last year, has registered his An Independence Party vanity project's slogan for ballot papers as "UK Independence Now".

The party name is very similar to UK Independence Party and clearly intended to trick voters into thinking they're voting for UKIP. Add in the "UK Independence Now" slogan and it's obvious that Nattrass intends to confuse voters.

An Independence Party has managed to stand a full slate of candidates in England which is quite an achievement for a single issue protest party although it's mostly been achieved with family members, disgruntled ex-UKIPpers and by parachuting candidates in from the West Midlands. Every AIP candidate for Yorkshire & Humber, for instance, lives in Coventry or Solihull. Interestingly, Chris Pain who only a few months ago was appealing against a decision to expel him from UKIP is lead candidate for the East of England with his wife - whose name inadvertently appeared as the author in the properties of a supposedly anonymous Word document distributed to  UKIP members inciting rebellion over the MEP selection process - is in second place. How many deposits Nattrass has had to pay to get a full slate of candidates who have no realistic hope of winning is something we'll have to wait to find out when their election expenses statements are filed.

UKIP has yet to make a formal complaint but the party chairman met with the Electoral Commission yesterday and a spokesman has said that the party will fight it all the way and seek judicial review if necessary.

Public back UKIP election posters

Hat-tip: Guido

Full Fact verify UKIP poster facts

The Full Fact website have fact checked UKIP's EU election posters and have confirmed that three of the four posters are correct but can't confirm the fourth.

Full Fact agreed that research shows that EU immigration affects jobs and wages, they couldn't find a definitive answer on the percentage of laws that originate from the EU and they agreed that we give the EU £55m per day.

The Tories have fared rather less well with their EU election broadcast with Full Fact picking holes in half of what they say.