Lincoln Council Elections 2014: UKIP Exceed Expectations But Fail To Win Any Seats

The overall result of Lincoln's City Council's 2014 local elections have been a reassuringly predictable affair. However the detail shows that the UK Independence Party performed better than expected, whilst Labour and the Conservatives both underperformed. 

There were only one set of local elections taking place in Lincolnshire yesterday. Lincoln City Council is the only authority in the county that still retains the system of electing it's members by 'thirds' - the process where each year one third of the seats are elected and in the fourth year elections take place for Lincolnshire County Council.

Click on the table above to enlarge.

The table above shows the predicted result for each party, in grey, based on a standard uniform swing calculation generated using data from ukpollingrport.co.uk on 5th May 2014. The second column for each party shows the actual result and the third column the difference between the two.

Lincoln is a key battleground in the coming General Election between Conservative incumbent Karl McCartney MP and Labour's Lucy Rigby who have been slogging it out for over two years now and have a year ahead of them of an increasingly bitter rivalry.

The net effect of the elections to Lincoln City Council was a loss of two seats by the Conservatives to Labour in the Birchwood and Minster wards. This means that the council now consists of 27 Labour members and 6 Conservatives.

The UK Independence Party failed to make any gains, despite polling a respectable 23.33%. This will be a substantive disappointment for them for two reasons; firstly that with such a healthy share of the vote they were not rewarded with any representation; and secondly that their share of the vote is down slightly on the local elections in Lincoln last year to Lincolnshire County Council.

Labour, despite success in securing new members on the council, have nothing to be happy about in terms of their share of the vote. Their share of the vote is down 2.13 percentage points on last year's county elections in the city and 12.62 percentage points on the comparable local elections of 2012. Since the 2010 local elections this would mean that Labour has only improved their share of the vote in the city by 4.68 percentage points. Given that Karl McCartney MP's majority is 2.32%. It is now possible to say, with some certainty that either could win the seat in 2015. However, on the basis that governing parties usually recover as an election approaches this poor performance by Labour is likely to prove insufficient to ensure Ms Rigby's election. Mr. McCartney will in all likelihood be Lincoln's Member of Parliament for at least the next six years.

It was surely a disappointing night for the Conservatives. Despite campaigning hard they struggled to convert votes into seats. Their share of the vote was up three quarters of a percentage point compared with the previous county elections in 2013. The loss of Cllr. Yvonne Bodger in Minster Ward means that she will not become Mayor of Lincoln for the coming civic year; depriving Lincoln's Conservatives of a significant platform in the run-up to the general election.

The Liberal Democrats performed much better than the prediction; however, this is more likely due to the fact that they are now only getting votes from their most ardent supporters. Nevertheless their share of the vote was down two thirds of a percentage point when compared with last year's county elections, and down 2.20 percentage points compared with the local elections of 2012.

Of the other parties and independent candidates contesting these elections, the Trades Unionists Socialist Against Cuts underperformed and continued to slip in terms of their share of the vote which was down 0.60 percentage point from their hight of 2.42% in 2012. The Greens performed considerably better than expected having fielded candidates for the first time in the city since 2011. The two independent candidates underperformed against the prediction.

East Midlands Conservatives Launch European Parliamentary Campaign in Lincoln

The Conservatives' launched their East Midlands European Parliamentary Campaign today in Lincoln. 

Grant Shapps MP, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, joined the party's has five candidates, Emma McClarkin MEP, Andrew Lewer, Rupert Matthews, Stephen Castens and Brendan Clarke-Smith who are looking for victory in the election on Thurdsay, 22nd May 2014.  Also in attendance were several of the county's Members of Parliament - Sir Edward Leigh MP (Gainsborough), Karl McCartney MP (Lincoln) as well as Mark Simmonds MP (Boston & Skegness); together with local councillors and activists.

Mr. Shapps said that only by voting Conservative can people take part in a referendum on Britain’s place in Europe.

“Most people did not get a say in the last referendum on Europe in the 70s, which people thought was about joining the Common Market. It is time to give people a proper say. 

“A referendum means voting Conservative.”

Emma McClarkin MEP, commenting on the rise of UK Independence Party, said:

“We are fighting this election every step of the way. The reality is UKIP has no MPs, no power and no plans for the future.”

The press launch was well attended by numerous local media outlets. Despite the damp weather a large body of candidates and activists headed from the Lincoln Hotel on Eastgate, to Castle Square and then down Steep Hill, on to the High Street, in what was described by one organiser as a 'Mob-Canvass'.

Labour Win in Bracebridge By-Election

Labour had an impressive night in the by-election for the Bracebridge Ward seat, vacated by former Council Leader Darren Grice, coming top of the poll to secure an extra seat on Lincoln City Council and getting their poll up, despite recent slippage in national opinion polls.

Above: Bracebridge Ward By-Election Result
22nd August 2013

If Ed Miliband, the Labour Party Leader, is having a 'Summer of Discontent' then there was no sign of it in Lincoln last night as votes were counted and victory declared for Lincoln's newest City Councillor Mrs. Katie Vause, Labour (Bracebridge Ward).

Cllr. Mrs. Vause, a Geography Teacher, was elected as Labour's 25th man on to the 33 member authority. The Labour advance continues in Lincoln, in an area hitherto that has not been strong for them in recent years. It will be taken as a signal by Lincoln Labour that they are doing the right things to unseat incumbent Conservative, Karl McCartney MP, in the 2015 General Election.

The night saw Conservative trooper Mr. David Denman pipped to the post by a narrow margin of less than 100 votes. Perhaps as a kicking from the electorate for the way in which Darren Grice was forced out of office, or perhaps for other reasons, the Conservative poll was down nearly four percentage point, with voters switching to Labour. With a general election now only 21 months away this was not the result that the party would have been wanting.

Above: Election results in the Bracebridge
Ward & Division 2007 - 2013

The Liberal Democrats' Mr. Ross Pepper improved the party's poll standing back to above the 5% mark - just - as was suggested by the blog (here) earlier in the year. However, at only 5.03%, it is hardly the improvement that the party needs to be considered in the running in Lincoln's politics. Nevertheless, it will be argued by them that this shows that the party is healing after bruising polls following joining the Conservatives in the Coalition Government in 2010. Whilst not to the dizzy highs the party achieved in 2009 & 2010, nevertheless they are back to 2007 levels and this will restore their hope.

Mrs. Elane Warde for the UK Independence Party polled a respectable 23%. Demonstrating that if the UKIP bubble of May earlier this year is bursting, it is doing so at a snails pace. The local party will seize on this as evidence that the party is here to stay. Only time will tell.

Finally Ms Karen Williams for the Trades Union Socialists Against the Cuts coalition had a poor performance picking up only four more votes than nominees that got her on the ballot and polling less than a percent.

Karl McCartney MP Re-Adopted to fight Lincoln at the Next General Election

At the meeting of the Lincoln Conservative Association's Executive Council, held after a Special General Meeting, on 28th May 2013, Karl McCartney MP was re-adopted as its candidate for the Lincoln Constituency at the next General Election.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. McCartney thanked members of the Association for their continuing support and pledged his full commitment to fighting the next election.

Mr. Kelly Smith, Association Chairman, said:

"I'm delighted that Karl has been re-adopted and will be our candidate at the next General Election. Nobody works harder for Lincoln, standing up for our local interests on the National stage. We look forward to the election campaign with great enthusiasm."

Veteran Hits Out At Being Duped by Labour's Ed Miliband

Mr. Mike Williams, Hon. Secretary of the Lincoln Branch of the Royal Naval Association, has hit out at Leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband MP, following an event held in Lincoln last Friday.

Writing for The Lincolnite Mr. Williams voices his concerns about how what had been billed as a 'Veterans' Forum' was distorted into a platform for the Labour Leader to 'grace his followers with the usual platitudes'. Mr. Williams writes:

"I for one, and I’m sure I’m not alone amongst the Veterans, felt this had been shanghaied and we had been duped into providing a platform for an MP to grace his followers with the usual platitudes. 

"When the subject of this event taking place came up, I voiced my objections but was assured by Labour PPC Lucy Rigby that it would absolutely not be a political production. Well, I guess you can say that at my age, 56, I should never be taken in by the words of a politician. 

"By the time I managed to voice my question, almost an hour had passed and – with the exception of the question immediately preceding mine (not shown but referred to in the clip) – this was the first time the subject of the Armed Forces or Veterans welfare had been raised. 

"On declaring who I was, Mr Miliband thanked me for allowing him the use of the RNA Club for this gathering. I replied that if it had been up to me he, or any other politician, would not have been allowed anywhere near the premises."

Mr. Williams concludes:

"I will get absolutely slated by my Branch for this letter, but I couldn’t let go of the fact that a gathering intended to address Veteran’s concerns turned out to be nothing more than a Labour Party political broadcast."

Mr. Miliband was ordered by the Speaker of the House of Commons to apologise to Lincoln MP, Karl McCartney, for not meeting parliamentary protocol and informing him of his visit in advance.

EXCLUSIVE: Labour Leader to Visit Lincoln

Leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband MP, will be visiting Lincoln tomorrow.

Complete details have been a closely guarded secret of the local Labour Party's team.  However, the Labour leader is expected to visit the Royal Naval Club on Coulson Road, off the High Street, in Lincoln tomorrow morning.

Cllr. Ms Karen Lee, Labour (Carholme Ward), the Mayor of Lincoln, is expected to meet her party's leader, but has caused some controversy by seeking to wear the chains of office as she meets the Leader of the Opposition.  Traditionally the role is seen as non-political, so the wearing of chains at a political event sets an unsettling precedent.  It is also a surprise that the Mayor has found time for the meeting when it is understood that she has turned down the opportunity of attending an awards ceremony for St John's Ambulance at the Lincolnshire Showground, believed to be on grounds that she was unwilling to get time off work.


Cllr. Ms Lee courted controversy last summer when she wanted to break with the eight hundred year-old tradition of the Mayor of Lincoln being styled as 'Mr. Mayor', when her term started earlier this year. She has also been criticised for not attending events for which she is booked. She left guests shocked by sending the Deputy Mayor to cover for her at the opening of the Doubletree by Hilton on the Brayford.


It is expected that the Lincoln Labour Party will use Ed Miliband's visit to announce their candidate for the Lincoln East Division By-Election expected in July or early August.


UPDATE:


The Labour Leader also caused controversy and has been forced to apologise to Karl McCartney MP for not informing him of his intention to visit the constituency. Mr. McCartney says his office has received an apology from Mr. Miliband after he failed to inform the Lincoln Parliamentarian of his intentions. Mr. McCartney said:

"The Speaker has reiterated the long-standing convention and practice that MPs should let the residing MP know that they are visiting their constituency." 

"Unfortunately, Mr Miliband did not inform me. I have now received an apology by email."

Karl McCartney Invites Prime Minister to see City's 'Excellent Progress'

Karl McCartney MP in a bright tie presented by local cadets

Karl McCartney MP, who represents the City of Lincoln, Bracebridge Heath and Waddingham West and Skellingthorpe, has invited Prime Minister David Cameron MP to visit the city.

The parliamentarian was speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions, whilst wearing a bright, stripped neck tie, understood to have been presented to him recently by the Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force.

Mr. McCartney asked the Prime Minister to visit Lincoln and see progress in the manufacturing and engineering sector. Karl said:

"Is my right honourable friend aware of recent, very good news in the manufacturing and engineering sectors in Lincoln? Hoval have seen an increase in turnover of over twenty percent to around £17.5 million, Italian firm Bifrangi have confirmed a £50 million investment in a new tooling press, one of the largest in the world, and Siemens are involved with the first new Engineering School in our country for twenty years, at the University of Lincoln. Would my right honourable friend accept my personal invitation to visit Lincoln and see for himself the excellent progress our city is enjoying under his Conservative-led Government?"

The Prime Minister responded:

"I am very grateful for my honourable friend’s invitation and I shall try and take it up.

"As I said earlier, [despite] the very disappointing [GDP figures] today, underneath there is a rebalancing that needs to take place and is taking place, in terms of manufacturing investment, in terms of exports and in terms of the government getting behind that with more investment in apprenticeships, more investment in technical hubs at our universities like the one at the University of Lincoln, and cutting business taxes so we get Britain working and making things again."

Lincoln is the Local Battleground to Watch in May

Whilst for many across Lincolnshire 2012 represents a break in the usual electioneering that we have come to expect at this time of year, not so for residents of Lincoln, who still elect the City Council by the 'thirds' method, an authority tipped to be at the centre of attentions over the coming weeks.

Lincoln City is the only part of the county that still holds elections for council members every year. Lincoln City Council has one third of its members elected each year and in the fourth year elections take place for the city's County Councillors.

Lincoln City Council, which covers the majority of the the parliamentary constituency - both before and after proposed changes to the constituency boundary - is a 'bell-weather' constituency. With Conservative Karl McCartney MP, gaining only the slightest of majorities (1,058) in the 2010 general election, the machinations of the locals are observed with keen interest by the political classes.

Currently the Council is under Labour control, with a majority of one. The Labour party took back control from a Liberal Democrat supported Conservative administration in local elections last year in 2011.

The Local Government Information Unit says of the Lincoln contest:

"The political balance in Lincoln is on a knife edge between Labour and Conservatives. The outcome this time has extra significance as this is now a top parliamentary marginal."

UK Polling Report suggests that under the current boundaries Lincoln is the Labour Party's nineteenth target at  a future general election. And with substantial changes to the Lincoln constituency boundary, Mr. McCartney will have to work hard to gain votes from new voters to the constituency.

Forty-six individuals from six parties will contest these seats. The three main parties, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour, have all fielded full slates of eleven candidates. The United Kingdom Independence Party are fielding seven, there are five candidates from Trade Unionists and Socialist Against Cuts and the British National Party have fielded one candidate in the Bracebridge ward.

Already the Lincoln Labour Party have been throwing big guns at the contest; the selection of their parliamentary prospective candidate (Lucy Rigby) and visits from David Miliband and Caroline Flint are giving impetus to a campaign which appears to lack foot soldiers - no reports of any literature being delivered. Meanwhile both Conservative and Liberal Democrat campaign teams have been out delivering literature to local residents in key wards.

Time will tell if the Lincoln Labour Party are suffering the ill-effects of a manpower shortage. The Conservatives in the city have determination to win and have mobilised a significant force of volunteers to aid their campaign. This suggests that Lincoln's Conservatives may do respectably on election day.

GE2015: Lincoln's Labour Party Select General Election Candidate

Lincoln Constituency Labour Party have held a closed primary and selected their candidate for the next General Election.

Members of the party have selected Cllr. Ms Lucy Rigby, Labour (Halloway Ward (Islington Council) to be their candidate. Cllr. Ms Rigby was first elected to her local council in 2010, and is reported to have helped campaign for Labour candidates in the Lincoln City Council elections last year, which saw the authority return to Labour control. She is a lawyer by profession, with experience in Private Practice and the Office of Fair Trading as well as having worked at the Hague and practised EU competition law in Brussels.

Criticising the selection, one local activist, Mr. Edward Mayers, on the Labour List website, said:

"It would have been a much easier sell for Labour to select a local candidate in my opinion.

Lincoln's previous Labour MP, Ms Gillian Merron (1997-2010), had a background as a local government officer, and as a UNISON and NUPE trade union official, before becoming involved at a senior level with the Labour Party's 1992 general election campaign.

EXCLUSIVE: Eric Pickles Set To Visit County



Above:  During the 2010 General Election campaign in
Lincoln's Castle Square Eric Pickles with Karl McCartney

This blog can exclusively reveal the the Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, will be visiting Lincolnshire in the coming months.
Whilst details of the visit are understood to still be being finalised it is expected that Mr. Pickles will be in the here this autumn and will tour a number of projects in the county before being the guest of honor at a Gala Dinner in the evening.

Benedict Brogan, of the Daily Mail, says of the popular grass-roots politician:

"If you ever start to worry that Dave's Conservatives are all soft-cheeked trendy toffs, take a moment to admire the girth, the stout cloth, dammit, even the tie-clip of this briny, plain-speaking, subtle, human politician."

Prime Minister Visits Lincoln

Local Rsidents will have noticed the excellent arial display by the Red Arrows early this morning, as they practiced for the arrival of a very special guest in the county, above Nettleham. David Cameron MP, the Prime Minister, attended a graduation ceremony at RAF College Cranwell, where he said the RAF is not just important to the nation’s security, but also 'completely and utterly essential'.

"Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, our fighters are standing ready to launch to protect UK air space."

"I know that, I get those telephone calls each and every time there’s a plane in UK air space that we don’t know about."

The Prime Minister made the speech after inspecting the officer cadets at RAF Cranwell. He watched a flypast by the Red Arrows and presented annual prizes including the Sword of Honour, the International Sword of Honour and the Queen’s Medal.

Mr Cameron, who is the third Prime Minister to visit RAF Cranwell, told the graduates the RAF would remain a 'formidable and world-class air force.

Above: David Cameron Answers questions from staff at Lincolnshire Co-Operative

Later, Mr. Cameron visited workers of Lincolnshire Cooperative as part of his 'PM Direct' inititive which follows on from his successful 'Cameron Direct' roadshow conducted inopposition.

Karl McCartney MP: Vote No to AV

This Thursday on May the 5th, the first referendum in the United Kingdom for over 35 years will be held – on Parliamentary voting reform. This referendum was the primary concession by my Party, the Conservatives, to the Liberal Democrats in return for their support for a Coalition Government last May, and will ask “Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the ‘alternative vote’ system instead of the current ‘first past the post’ system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?”

As the Member of Parliament for Lincoln I would like to let you know my thoughts on this proposal. I believe, as many Members in both the Conservative and Labour Party do, that the Alternative Vote (AV) system would be wrong for Britain. It is obscure, unfair and expensive. It’s introduction would mean that people who came third in elections could end up winning. It would make our politics less accountable, and it would be a backward step for our Country.

EXCLUSIVE: Lincolnshrire Conservative Future's New Team

Members of Lincolnshire Conservative Future met at the White Hart, Bailgate, Lincoln today for their Annual General Meeting and have elected a new team to head up the organisation. The result of the elections is: 

• Area Chairman: Mr. Chris Green (Louth CF) UNOPPOSED
• Deputy Chairman (Political): Mr. Aaron Spencer (Boston CF) ELECTED, Mr. Robin-Hunter Clarke (Skegness CF)
• Deputy Chairman (Membership & Finance): Mr. Thomas Ashton (Boston CF) UNOPPOSED
• Vice Chair (Social Action): Miss Poppy Hubbard (Lincoln CF) UNOPPOSED
• Vice Chair (Universities): Mr. Mark Dixon (Lincoln CF) UNOPPOSED
• Vice Chair (Events): Mr. James Hopkins (Louth CF) UNOPPOSED

Lincolnshire CF Area Team (from left to right): Thomas Ashton,
Chris Green, Holly Hubbard,  James Hopkins, Mark Dixon
and Aaron Spencer.

The young Conservatives also held a conference which had presentations including: the No2AV Campaign, Conservative Policy Forum, Campaign 2011 and guest speaker Karl McCartney MP for the Lincoln Constituency who talked about the 'national picture' and took questions.

Furious Karl McCartney Hits Out At Lincolnshire Echo

A furious Karl McCartney MP, Conservative (Lincoln), has hit out at claims published in today's Lincolnshire Echo which declared he has been sleeping on the floor of his House of Commons Office.

The report stated:

"The Conservative MP for Lincoln made the claim as the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority published the latest tranche of MPs' expenses claims for September and October last year.

"In December, the authority also published details of MPs' expenses from May until the end of August.

"The documents revealed Mr McCartney has claimed £20,954 since being elected in May – the highest of any MP in the county.  

"But that does not include any expenditure relating to his second home in London, such as rent and bills."

Tweeting just before half past eight, Mr. McCartney said:

"Shoddy sensationalist claims by Echo. I expressly pointed out I wasn't forced to sleep on the floor, & other MPs don't employ anyone then?"

Echo Reports Lincoln MPs Twitter Misjudgement, But Triumphs On BBC Radio Lincolnshire

The Lincolnshire Echo is today reporting that Karl McCartney MP, Conservative (Lincoln), who posted a message on his Twitter feed has strongly criticised people who oppose plans supported by the parliamentarian to bring horse racing to Lincoln's West Common.

The comments came after the paper reported on the Lincoln Commons Advisory Panel's decision to reject plans for the racecourse and recommend to the City of Lincoln Council's Executive that it does not grant an initial lease.

Above: Karl McCartney,
Member of Parliament for
the Lincoln Constituency

Mr. McCartney tweeted:

"It says a lot that Labour councillors and anti brigade try to judge everyone's motives by their own standards and twisted hate-filled republican logic."

The paper reports that the tweet has left residents and the six hundred people who signed a petition against a racecourse wondering whether Mr. McCartney is listening to them.

Ms Jane Kirman of Hewson Road, voted Conservative in the General Election. is reported to have said:

"He should listen to the people who put him into power."

The Lincolnshire Echo asked Mr. McCartney how he thought people might feel and report that he said:

"I would never insult the six hundred people who signed the petition as they have rightly wanted to have their say, but the premise of the information in the petition is incorrect.

"The problem has been the way the proposals have been wrongly portrayed by those who willfully have done so, aided and abetted by certain media.

"Yesterday's story in the Echo started with the line 'plans to bring back racing on Lincoln's West Common'. This is not the case because the plans put forward are about looking at whether it is viable to do so and do not say it should definitely go ahead at all.

"This has been about The Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company Ltd and Lincoln Racecourse Trust being allowed to investigate if racing is viable."

The company, of which Mr. McCartney is a director, is asking Lincoln City Council for a heads of term lease. It is with this lease secured that the company would start to work up a masterplan. But the Commons Advisory Panel, the paper reports, has agreed that if the company wanted to create a masterplan, it should go ahead without the lease, which the company wants to demonstrate the authority is interested in the project.

The authority will decide later in the year whether to accept the recommendation.

Mr. McCartney later edited his Twitter feed to read:

"It says a lot that some Labour councillors and a tiny majority of anti brigade try to judge anyone's motives by their own standards."

Mr. McCartney, early this morning, spoke on BBC Radio Lincolnshire and talked about the Echo's story and vehemently denied that he did not listen to local people and that a deal had already been done.

EXCLUSIVE: Gillian Merron Spotted In Lincoln

The former Labour parliamentarian for Lincoln, Ms Gillian Merron, was spotted earlier today in Lincoln. Ms. Merron who lost her Lincoln seat in the general election to Karl McCartney MP, Conservative (Lincoln), resurfaced on Guildhall Street in the centre of the city earlier today.

Quizzed on what life was now holding for the former minister now that she had left government and parliament she responded that she was 'looking for work', confirming other reports of her recent activities from other source.

Ms Merron also indicated that David Miliband, the shadow Foreign Secretary, had her support to become the next leader of the Labour Party and scotched Diane Abbotts chances of winning the leadership.

In all Ms Merron seemed to be in confident and positive spirits and her opponent had failed, by his own definition, of what he wanted to achieve by winning the seat with a bigger swing than that achieved by Martin Vickers MP, Conservative (Cleethorpes).

Lincoln's Conservatives Split Over Racecourse's Future

The Lincolnite is reporting that an unnamed Conservative City Councillor has blasted The Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company’s plans to reinstate horse racing in the West Common, saying that they are a 'bad idea that won’t happen.'


The councillor, who, it is reported, wishes to remain anonymous in order to still be able to vote against LRRC’s plans at the Council’s Executive Meeting on Monday, 9th August 2010, is reported to have said there is

"no general support within the Council"

for the racecourse.

The plans are 'a complete waste of time,' and there 'is no way this is going to happen.' The City of Lincoln Council is 'never ever going to grant them a lease,' the councillor added, explaining the Council still has to take each proposal in to consideration, including the one for the racecourse.

Karl McCartney MP, Conservative (Lincoln) and a director of the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company, is 'a complication' in this issue, the councillor is reported to have said. The City of Lincoln Council has 'no political will' toward the racecourse plans, despite it having a Conservative-led council, achieved with support from the council's lone liberal, Helen Heath, Liberal Democrat (Carholme Ward). Accusations that the Lincoln racecourse is a 'Conservative conspiracy' were also refuted.

Meanwhile, the residents' campaign against the West Common racecourse is gaining momentum. The campaign, has gathered 450 signatures on an online petition and is also backed by television botanist David Bellamy, who said the Common is “very, very precious” and it shouldn’t be used for commercial purposes.

Karl Demands Superscript 'C' Scorned By The Independent

The Independent today reports that Karl McCartney, the recently elected Member of Parliament for Lincoln, has entered Parliament determined to deal with a pressing issue of historical prejudice.

"Forget immigration: why won't Hansard and other publications publish his name with his preferred superscript "c"?"

This is the question asked by the paper and the subject of a recent email sent by Mr. McCartney to his fellow House of Commons 'son ofs' (including Esther McVey, John McDonnell and Pat McFadden), whom he invited to help him to 'communicate a collective request for change'.

The paper reports that narrow-mindedness has dogged him since birth, and states that Mr. McCartney explains.

"I have continually through my life, from school, through college and in the workplace, with my own political party and the returning officer where I stood for election, had to make a point of informing others that my name is spelt and should look a certain way."

Unfortunately, the superscript 'c' runs contrary to The Independent's in-house style rules and those of most other national newspapers - together with the abilities of this blog - so should he ever get around to being in them for any other reason than his name will appear without the superscript.

Mr. McCartney earlier indicated at the Lincolnshire Show that he had not seen the piece in the paper but that it was 'another one to tick of the list' of papers he has appeared in since his election.