[Later. I now know where this rumour came from.]
I don't believe a word of it.
Research on this month's local elections showed that UKIP polled badly amongst graduates. And Sheffield Hallam is one of the constituencies with the most graduate voters.
But I do think I know what is behind this.
In 2008, before the last general election, I blogged about a rumour that Jeremy Clarkson was to be the Tory candidate in Hallam.
This is an example of Calder's Fourth Law of Politics: The more extreme a person's views, the more certain he or she will be that the majority of voters share them.
The fruitcakes, whether they are Conservative or UKIP activists, hate Nick Clegg. So, despite his 15,000 majority, they reason that everyone else must hate him too. And that all they need do to win Hallam is put up someone who shares their views.
If Farage stands anywhere, it will be somewhere like rural Lincolnshire not in sophisticated Sheffield Hallam.
4 comments:
Very patronising about where and why Nigel Farage might stand for election. If that 15,000 majority isnt cut by half, I will doubt the "critical thinking" minds of Sheffield Hallam's lauded graduates.
Sophisticated Sheffield Hallam? Are you joking?
Pompous arsehole
But I've been told by Labour and Tory activists that Nick Clegg's not standing in Sheffield Hallam next time.
Seriously - according to them, in a top secret Lib Dem plot, that's so secret no Lib Dems including the people supposedly making it have ever heard of it, Clegg's going to stand in Colchester instead. For reasons no one can explain, Sir Bob Russell's 7,000 majority makes that a safer seat than Clegg's 15,000.
One might almost think that people are just making them up. In that light, given that Labour won a seat in Witney at the county elections, any takers for a 'Blair to challenge Cameron' one?
Farage hasn't the guts to stand in a Lib Dem controlled seat (viz Eastleigh). Why? Because he wants to stand somewhere were everyone already agrees with him and Lib Dem voters, even ex Lib Dem voters, don't. He doesn't want to be challenged all the time and so will go for somewhere where he can be sure of a nice comfortable ride i.e. A Labservative stronghold.
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