Ukip candidate for Harborough has been on holiday in Florida

What is it with Ukip candidates for Harborough and travel?

In March Clive Langley resigned when he found out he would have to travel to London if he won.

Now comes news that his replacement Mark Hunt has been on holiday in Florida for the past week.

Thanks to Dan Martin in the Leicester Mercury for confirming the local rumours.

I wouldn't be too hard on Mr Hunt. I recall a prominent Liberal Democrat candidate who spent part of the 2001 election campaign on holiday.

This was because the poll took place a month later than expected because of the outbreak of foot and mouth. Expecting a contest in May he had, quite reasonably, booked his holiday in June. And I suspect he was not the only one.

So I tend towards the charitable view of Zuffar Haq, as quoted in the Mercury:

"It is important for candidates to attend hustings to hear the views of constituents and it is a chance for them to ask questions of us, but I believe he stepped in at the last minute and he had previous commitments."

rather than the ungrateful "It is a disgrace" of Labour's Sundip Meghani.

Why ungrateful? I shall explain in another post .

What this amusing episode really shows that is that Ukip is not running a serious campaign in Harborough. Clive Langley used to tell everyone that he was going to win, but the party's ambitions now fall far, far short of that.

It also suggests that Ukip is not overstocked with talent. What can Ukip's next best choice have been like for it to go with someone it knew was spending part of the campaign in Florida?