LOCAL elections can be pretty dull affairs for the average punter, so any whiff of scandal or cock-up is likely to get a fair bit of coverage at this time of year.
Here's a few which fit quite nicely...
According to the Beeb's website, Bournemouth Bororgh Council's big cheeses have been falling over themselves to apologise after they banned "lunatics, idiots, deaf and dumb" people from standing for election.
Apparently, the info pack for candidates mistakenly included the wording which had been taken directly from election law dating back to 1766.
No doubt this gaffe caused much hilarity locally with some well-aimed wisecracking going on.
With regards to scandal, check out the following claims from Lib Dem peer and former Lancashire councillor Lord Greaves...
He alleges that parties are 'bribing' people at rallies with sumptious banquets with curries and such.
Apparently, this 'widespread' practice contravenes a law which was brought in to end the widespread bribery of voters in the 1800s.
It makes you wonder whether we'll soon see Returning Officers ditching the practice of scrutinising election expenses in favour of raiding polling stations armed with a tape measure to record the size of an unsuspecting voter's girth.
Read the full story here
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The Sniper wrote...
Didn't realise idiots were not allowed to stand in elections - I thought they were positively encouraged.
Now that you have flushed out this nugget into the open will it mean a clear-out of elected chambers across the country?
In fact some councillors fit the other definitions as well - not to mention self-publicists....
With regard to gastronomic bribes for votes, count me in. I'll do anything for a chicken tikka makhanwalla. Don't fancy some council bod frisking my girth though. Well, depends what she looks like.
Posted by: The Sniper | April 7, 2007 10:55 AM