Old and Sad part 2

It looks like the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, to elect a replacement for Phil Woolas as their MP, will be held in mid-January. The writ is apparently to be moved by Lib Dem MPs tomorrow

Although on one side of the equation, having an election campaign that starts in the festive season isn't exactly a brilliant piece of timing, leaving the constituency without an MP for more than a month or two isn't a good idea either. I think the timing is wrong, though understandable, and would (if it had been my own area) to have waited just a couple of weeks before moving the writ that starts the process and determines the by-election timetable.

The three main-party candidates have been chosen by their parties, though I don't yet have the details of all of them as follows:

• Labour - Debbie Abrahams
• LibDem - Elwyn Watkins
• Tory  -  Kashif Ali

There will also be Nick Griffin for the BNP and Paul Nuttall for UKIP on the ballot paper, though it is not thought that either of them will get very far. It will  be agenuine three-way battle, by the looks of things.

It promises to be an interesting by-election, not only because of its historic significance (i.e. what caused it) but also because of this crucial time in British national politics. I intend to keep an eye on what goes on there.

Old and Sad

"Old and Sad" is the shorthand for the Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency that is currently without an MP because of the recent legal disqualification of Phil "Woolly" Woolas.

It is now known who has been short-listed to be the Labour candidate at the resultant by-election, and Political Betting has photographs and brief details of the three: Debbie Abrahams, Riaz Ahmad and Abdul Jabbar.

How very traditionally English of the local party to short-list those three!