Choice at the Polls (so long as its Lib-Dem, Labour or Tory)!

You would have though the Tories would be delighted by a cock up by the Liberal Democrats which resulted in their candidate missing the nomination deadline for a Council by-election, especially when the seat in question is in a fairly safe Lib-Dem ward.

However, after it became clear that there were only two candidates, Tories and UKIP contesting the Middle Rasen Ward (West Rasen, Osgodby and Usselby), on Thursday October 9, the Deputy Conservative Leader issued a statement attacking the Liberal Democrats (and Labour) for “ignoring residents” and denying them a choice at the polls.

You would assume from that that the Tories are supporters of choice and the democratic process. However, the Tories then attacked UKIP for putting up a Candidate and there by ensuring there would need to be an election. UKIP are wasting Council Taxpayer's money by forcing an election complained the Tory spokesman. So Lib-Dems and Labour are wrong for not standing a candidate and hence denying choice at the polls but UKIP are wrong for having a candidate and hence providing choice at the polls?

Of course the real reason the Tories are so upset is that when they talk of choice at the polls and the democratic process what they mean is choice between one of the Lib/Lab/Con Club. Any party not in that cosy little arrangement is definitely not welcome. It doesn’t really matter which of the Lib/Lab/Con you vote for they are all more or less the same party with almost identical policies so if the Tories don’t win they would much rather see Lib-Dems or Labour winning instead of an outsider like UKIP. The Market Rasen Lib/Lab/Con are showing the same contempt for the electorate that the Hartlepool Lib/Lab/Con did when the three parties co-operated with each other to keep out UKIP in the last local elections. The Lib/Lab/Con would always rather see one of their own gang win than someone not in their club. After all the Lib/Lab/Con all take 80% of their policy instructions from Brussels and so it’s only their names and a few minor policy details that differentiate between these three parties these days.