Erotic fiction web site knocks out the Conservatives

BIZARRE happenings in Worcester yesterday when Labour gained a seat from the Conservatives on an incredible swing of 17.6%. Was this the signal Gordon Brown wanted to stampede to Balmoral and asked for Parliament to be dissolved and an early election?

Not quite. It seems the Tory candidate, one Lisa Ventura, has a web site dedicated to erotic fiction, and far from being a "seismic shift" in public opinion as claimed by Worcester's Labour MP Mike Foster - remember, it was he who lead the fight to ban hunting with hounds -  it seems the good folk in this West Midlands city did not want to be represented by person who reveals details of her sex life on the Internet, and in particular discussing the merits of various sex toys.

What prudes! But LOL anyway.

Elsewhere the Tories lost a seat to an Independent in Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, with the far right British National Party polling 315 votes, and a seat to Labour in Birmingham. The Liberal Democrats failed to distinguish themselves during the week of their party conference, losing a seat to Labour in Nuneaton and Bedworth district in Warwickshire, and a seat to the Conservatives in Pembrokeshire.

There was a worrying swing from Labour to the BNP in Wigan and a net swing to the Tories in Cumbria, although Labour held on to see off Tories and BNP.

And the significance of all this?  Based on these results, the Press Association calculates that Labour has a 1.4% nationwide lead over the Conservatives compared to the latest opinion poll lead of 8%, which should be enough to dampen down election fever next week in Bournemouth.