UK votes today for a mixed bag in mixed bag elections

Scottish sweet seller spotted in Holyrood candy store

Some pundits in electoral sciences are calling this "Super Thursday" as a take on America's Super Tuesdays. Not a lot super about it really. For some they've only got the AV referendum to think about. People like my sister and she's not said much about it. On the other end of the scale are the voters of Leicester South who get to vote for an MP, a new fangled city mayor, and councillors too. They might have to phone a friend when in the polling booth. No good asking the audience. It will be interesting to see which contest gets the higher turnout.

Alex Salmond might be a happy bunny. He thinks he's on his way to independence. But voting SNP does not necessarily mean supporting SNP. Voters do what they do on the day and we get far more floating voters these days. If they float in his direction, that's probably because his candy store has more tempting goodies in it today. And, if he's selling anything sweet, it's a hard thing to say no as he's capable of persuading you that black is white.

I'm not finding it hard to say NO to the Alternative Vote. "X" marks the spot!

By-election in Buckingham? Bercow to be bounced?

John Bercow got the overwhelming support of the electors of Buckingham in last year's general election. They seemed satisfied with an MP who was a bit dodgy on expenses and a bit dodgy on political savvy. But then this a seat that elected the bouncing Czech Maxwell, the maverick George Walden and, in the late 1800's, Edmund Verney, who managed to get expelled from the House because he was jailed for more than a year. Verney procured the services of  girl under 21 years of age for immoral purposes. He should have waited for Harriet Harperson to come along!

Buckingham electors may need to be looking around for another MP. Not that they are clamouring to get rid of Bercow. They seem very satisfied with him. No, it's the MPs in the Commons who are desperate to be rid of their Speaker. They have been badgering the government for a vote and the government will not stand in their way now. If a vote does happen, it is more than likely that it will be curtains (or heavy drapes) for Bercow. The dechaired Speaker would not fit in well on the backbenches. Which set of backbenches? Where would he go? Would they give him a peerage or a steerage? He wouldn't last in the Commons. Far better to resign his seat and cause a by-election to occur.

Who would win in Buckingham? They've had a Labour MP who went Conservative later in a different constituency (Aidan Crawley) and a Conservative MP who had been Labour in a different constituency (Frank Markham). Another famous MP for Buckingham was John Radcliffe, the physician. He was royal physician to William and Mary. His predecessor in the job, Ralph Verney, was against William being king. The one thing Buckingham has not done is elect a shrinking violet.

John Bercow's days may be numbered but with how many numbers?

BNP candidate Derek Adams ejected from hustings by police

Democracy is on our minds now. In Arizona and in Oldham. A nutter goes on the rampage in Tucson. In Oldham it's a different matter. Greater Manchester Police are now the arbiters of democratic free speech. Whatever the chief constable might think, and "think" is something that he might be short of here, Derek Adams is a LEGITIMATE candidate. Who are the police to meddle in democracy?

Adams may not be the brightest candidate. He may have petty prejudices. His party is a rather authoritarian statist outfit. If allowed to speak he may well have put his foot in it. Now Greater Manchester Police have just given him every incentive to go out and say we live in a police state. What fools they are!

Let the people decide. Not a bunch of coppers doing some sort of political cleansing on behalf of apparatchiks.

By-elections now, please!

It is becoming an unedifying spectacle of bizarre proportions. The country staggers on, seemingly leaderless, with MPs offering to resign like green bottles hanging on a wall. Some 13 or so have decided to resign. But instead of going now they are to remain as MPs for a whole year more. This is totally ridiculous. Did the government want the RBS board hanging about for a year? Certainly not!

The country will not wear this. By-elections need to happen now, before angry disquiet turns to real anger and street demonstrations. Elliott Morley says he still has constituency work to do. Well, if he's the only person capable of doing it, then heaven help Scunthorpe. It doesn't matter what party these people represent, it is vital that constituencies have MPs that are representative to the fullest ability. Having lame duck MPs is definitely not that.

It will be an unstoppable demand before the month is out. Gordon Brown and David Cameron must see that these constituencies are not left in a politically derelict condition for so long. By-elections now, please!

By-elections 'happen too quickly'

The BBC reports that it can only be TWO days in which voters can register for a ballot. The Electoral Commission wants the minimum time between calling and holding general elections and by-elections to be increased from 15 to 25 days. I'd think that was very fair.

This all stems from the hypocrisy of politicians. They want elections timed to suit themselves but parade around the country suggesting that they are going to open up democracy. At least it is better than in Harold Wilson's day. He went months before he called a by-election! And in those days if you weren't on the register you weren't on until the new register was compiled by the council. So there is an improvement there.

The vulgarity of New Labour

Just after PMQs today the Government moved the writ for a by-election in Crewe and Nantwich. This election is caused by the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody, the fiesty Labour MP who was a long-serving proponent of traditional socialist values. Because of the undue haste in pushing this election through (the funeral hasn't yet been held) some members rightly felt this was unfortunate. Nicholas Winterton (Conservative MP for Macclesfield) and Simon Hughes, for the Liberal Democrats, both voiced sadness at this move. When Ann Winterton (Conservative MP for Congleton and wife of Nicholas) spoke, she was interrupted by John Spellar. When Spellar eventually rose, it was to speak in the typically vulgar tones associated with his side of the house.

I noticed Geoff Hoon, the Chief Whip, looking decidedly uncomfortable, and the words from Harriet Harman bordered on the humbug. They could have waited a week, at least. It just goes to show what a shower these rather nauseating people are. I can't wait to see them gone.

As for the local elections tomorrow, don't vote Labour, please. They just don't deserve it.