.... and they are off!!!!

With Labour's choice of a young London based John Lewis worker as candidate they moved the by-election writ for July 23rd. So, we get to go alone with all the media silly season attention and the Party's fully focussed on the one campaign. Little surprise, therefore, that there is a sudden surge in demand for short-term rented flats and houses in the constituency as party workers flock to Norwich.

With Labour's candidate selection completing the 'big 4' it is also worth noting that UKIP and the BNP have joined in with the local trend for selecting candidates that will even challenge their party faithful. As this just about covers what counts as 'mainstream' it will be interesting to see how the many fringe and independent candidates compete for the title of 'most unelectable' candidate.

On a more serious note, the choice of candidates is seriously depressing:

• Tory - young Chloe. May be too young to remember Thatcher, but many of us aren't - and would tactically vote to keep her out
• Labour - young Chris. Careerist aparatchik at 28 parachuted in as willing cannon fodder. Presumably hopes he will do well enough to get something winnable at the next General Election
• Liberal Democrat - scary April. Well advised not to try kissing too many babies - spoils the effect when they scream the place down
• Green - Rupert and friends will find the by-election campaign rough and tumble too overwhelming to compete with.
• UKIP - Glen Tingle will probably pinch quite a few Mail reading Tory voters from the northern suburbs and help keep the BNP vote down, but xenophobia is so 1930's.
• BNP - A self-styled Rev may have seemed a good way to present a respectable face, but on any sort of examination just looks to be another trick from Goebbels campaign manual.

So, all to play for in a contest that will try all our patience!