A riddle for you. "When is a Liberal Democrat not a Liberal Democrat"?

Answer: When he's a member of "Focus Team".

There was a by-election in Wallsend, North Tyneside on November 15th to fill a vacancy on North Tyneside Council occasioned by the resignation, for family reasons, of the Labour member who'd ousted a long-standing Lib Dem during the purging by Joe Tyneside of Cameron's Cronies last year.

Well, there was a Labour Candidate, a Tory Candidate, a Green Candidate - but no Lib Dem. Instead, the fourth candidate was from something called "Focus Team" - although his name was strangely familiar ...

And guess what ...

http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/pls/portal/NTC_PSCM.PSCM_Web.download?p_ID=540038

So a victory for the Focus Team!

Except that, later that week, on the Lib Dems' Local Government website:

http://www.libdemvoice.org/tag/michael-huscroft

Ok, it's not exactly electoral fraud but it is a bit ... sad, isn't it?

Respec', I guess, to the Tories for being honest enough to fly their own colours in enemy territory - but I couldn't help wondering whether, if Cameron bombs out next time, we can expect by-election candidates from the English Christian Democratic Community Activists and Taxpayers Alliance or some such. Nice thought!

The Skin