Election Season is Gearing up in Newark - Pictorial

It's taken a while, probably because everyone is resigned to Newark returning to its status as a quiet backbencher backwater after the excitement of last year's by election. But the last couple of days in town we've seen an increase in activity, stalls appeared in the market square, and candidates have been door stepping on the estates.

UKIP have got their "shop" open - there was a bit of "confusion" over change of planning use. Not sure what you can buy there. Purple balloons maybe.

No-one comes to see me of course, in my little cul-de-sac, although I've had a few leaflets pushed through the letterbox. There's a lot of activity in the local and district council elections however, with a strong group of independent candidates putting themselves forward.

I've also been told by more than one person that the chap standing in my ward for UKIP is the brother of Dragon's Den's Duncan Bannantyne. Whether this is true or not, I have no idea.

I will let the pictures tell the story.

Si

Shy and retiring Tory party worker Adam Pykett

Conservative stall cunningly sited next to a stall appealing for support for a special needs school that has been falling to bits on their watch

The only way we will see the back of Robert Jenrick

UKIP's secretariat for youth policy

UKIP spokesmen for health and wellbeing

UKIP worker leafleting

I'd say this voter has made up their mind

Adam again, with Green candidate Elayne Forster

Green stall

Lib Dems, hoping for a glorious...saving of deposit

Consensus Party - formed by last year's hospital candidate Andy Baggaley who is standing for the council this year. 

Newark by Election Emergency Update

Or rather, I forgot a picture...

...but it does give me a chance to reflect on the phenomenon of the "UKIP Hipster", the young males deployed to presumably counteract claims that UKIP is a party for elderly ex military types and windfarm hating nimbys who don't like the smell of the Polish run off license on the corner.

I dismissed one from my doorstep earlier with a curt "Don't even think about it". They remind me of the hardcore Christian Union types from University, and am willing to guess have a similar misogynistic pro life stance.

Mark 2 UKIP Hipster in action

Another Newark By Election Pictorial

No famous faces but it is still busy in the rain. So, let's see what is going on in politics central while we still can, before it's backwater time again.

Paul Baggaley's window

UKIP Market Stall 1

UKIP Market Stall 2, as if one group of tweed and mustard trousered buffoons wasn't enough

Labour HQ

All action in here

Could this be the Labour team off to canvas hard in the Market Square?

Or are they off for lunch at Strays?

Another dread addition to the team, UKIP Supergran

You too can own a Tory true blue raincape!

Greater Torydom through geekery

Sad looking wet Tory balloons

Mail and Express Immigration bullshittery in UKIP window

The Newark By Election Pictorial

It is a nature and natural history blog of course, but given the amount of attention the town is getting at the moment, to ignore the by-election brou-ha-ha seems a little churlish.

Sadly I keep missing all the endless political big hitters who have suddenly realised this town exists in the last couple of weeks, but I will try and catch up with them next week on wednesday and thursday.

After that of course, we will return to being a Midlands backwater, with no more ministers and shadow ministers turning up to pretend to be interested in the workings of our small businesses, or looking like they give a monkeys about the concerns of the people of the town.

A window full of truths?

Hospital Independent Paul Baggaley at his office on Baldertongate, who may well beat Lib Dems into 6th

Young Tory canvassers, Lime Grove

UKIP's latest dread weapon - The UKIP hipster

Dick Rodgers (apparently) - an independent anti banking candidate

Roger Helmer MEP in Alan Partridge attire

A truly modern, diverse, bunch of modern thinkers

Dick again, hopefully not getting too achey

UKIP to make Simon Cowell trousers compulsory