The riddle of the man in the middle

Last week Conservative by-election candidate Kasif Ali denied media reports that his party was running a ‘soft’ Oldham by-elections campaign in favour of the other coalition candidate Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins; a contest in which Mr Ali balloted last to a Labour win.

Ali insisted that his party was behind him all the way despite media reports suggesting otherwise. Reports claimed that Cabinet meetings had been held to find ways to help the Lib-Dems candidate beat Labour’s Debbie Abrahams, hoping that a victory would boost the Lib-dems all-time low poll ratings.

Trying to quell the rumours Mr Ali told reporters "This suggestion that we're running a soft campaign is a complete nonsense. There's no truth in it”.

"What could be better evidence than the prime minister breaking with usual convention to come here in Oldham East and Saddleworth, campaign with me and say he is fully backing me and fighting for every single vote?”.

But perhaps naively, for a handicap in a three-way race, Ali added that there were no "huge differences" between his party and the Lib Dems.

Apparently, Mr Ali believed that as a local he stood a good chance of taking the seat. But Labour’s Debbie Abrahams sailed to victory with. 14,718 votes, to the Lib-dems 11,160, with Ali for the Conservatives pulling in just 4,481 votes.

But no sooner were the votes counted and victory proclaimed Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles conceded that the Conservative Party had fought a "gentle" campaign.  Adding fuel to the claims that the  ‘soft’ / ‘gentle’ campaign was to shore up support for their coalition partner.

Mr Pickles told Sky News over the weekend: "We started third and of course we fought a very gentle campaign because that particular campaign was about the nastiness of previous Labour leaflets.

"The Liberals did, I think, pretty good. They increased their poll position. But it would have been a disaster for the Labour Party had they lost."

However, Mr Pickles threw a lifeline to future Conservative candidates - a pledge to fight fire with fire - by adding that that at the next general election he would be urging people to vote Tory, even in seats where the contest was primarily between Labour and the Lib Dems.

Referring the next general election he said, He said: "I think that when that occurs in 2015 you will have two political parties defending a government, a coalition's record.

"But we are two distinct political parties and I certainly will be urging everyone at that election to vote Conservative."

So although Kasif Ali lost the Oldham battle, he scored top marks on two counts; He was right that it was not a ‘soft’ campaign, it was in fact a ‘gentle’ one. And there is no “huge difference” between the Tories and Lib-dems, they are really “two distinct political parties”.

Better luck next time Kasif, and make sure you have the right hymn sheet.

Winsome-Grace Cornish