Pulling Rank
The posters are going up everywhere. And in the New Forest an interesting case of one-upmanship emerges.
The sitting MP is Conservative Julian Lewis, a front bench defence spokesman pictured on his website in an RAF Tornado as part of a parliamentary scheme. But the Liberal Democrat candidate also has a service background.
Terry Scriven was an army red cap for 37 years, rising through the ranks. His name is up on all the posters as Colonel Terry Scriven.
Julian Lewis has written to the returning officer asking him to put a stop to this saying,
"I have no doubt that Colonel (Retired) Scriven will seek to use this title on the ballot paper. He is no more entitled to do this than I would be to call myself an MP now that parliament has dissolved."
Terry Scriven says the thought hadn't occurred to him. But agrees he did have a phone call "from a very friendly brigadier" at the MOD warning him that regulations had changed and he needs permission to wear his old uniform when campaigning.
An interesting situation in South Dorset, where the Work and Pensions Secretary Jim Knight is trying to fight off a challenge from local notable Richard Drax (notable in that he was once a BBC South Today reporter, but also that his family are big local landowners)
Richard has election leaflets showing him with the Chief Constable. Jim cries foul, saying that using the top cop in uniform suggests an endorsement and is against the rules.
Dorset police agree that force guidelines require serving officers to act impartially, but say Mr Knight's criticism goes too far. This statement arrives from HQ:
"It would be ridiculous to prevent serving MPs or prospective parliamentary candidates from undertaking any visits to the force, ever, in order to be better informed as to policing issues locally. In fact the force operates a patrol observer scheme to enable the public at large to do just that.""All Dorset MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates have met with members of the force from time to time and on many occasions have taken photographs."
Do we just need a dose of common sense? Or are rules there for a reason?
We asked for MPs from the real world - but are we stopping them from showing their true colours?
Welcome to the hustings! I'm Peter Henley, the BBC's political reporter in the south of England. From parish councils in Sussex, to European politics in Oxford, this is the blog for you. 
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.