The UK Independence Party made an unusual appeal yesterday to some of its supporters: “Don’t vote for us”.In that case why bother standing against him at all?
There was a slightly Alice in Wonderland feel to the Eurosceptic party’s campaign launch as it entertains hopes of capturing its first Westminster seat.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch, the party leader, began the day by urging some of his own candidates to tell their supporters to vote for someone else.
He wants them to follow the example of Steve Parker, who is standing for UKIP in Stroud, and has produced a leaflet in which he declares: “I ask you to vote for David Drew [the Labour candidate] if possible. He is a committed Eurosceptic, who will continue to fight for our freedom in Parliament and I don’t want to stop him getting there.”
As they say in these parts, mad as a cut snake.