Before tonight’s big GOP debate some new Iowa polling and Local By-Election Preview

Before tonight’s big GOP debate some new Iowa polling and Local By-Election Preview

Shepperton Town (Con defence) on Spelthorne
Result of council at last election (2015): Conservatives 35, Liberal Democrats 3, Labour 1 (Conservative majority of 31)
Result of ward at last election (2015): Emboldened denotes elected
Conservatives 2,502, 2,121, 2,209 (56%)
United Kingdom Independence Party 823, 656 (18%)
Labour 612, 554, 524 (14%)
Liberal Democrat 532 (12%)
Candidates duly nominated: Colin Barnard (Con), John Button (Lab), Brian Catt (UKIP), Richard Dunn (Lib Dem), Nigel Scott (Green)

The opening song for the programme “Diddy Movies” has the line “You’ve living the dream!” which is a reference to the early days of cinema when complete unknowns were suddenly thrust into the media spotlight and given Shepperton’s long connection with the movie industry in Britain, it could be said that all five candidates have (for the last month at any rate) been thrust into the spotlight, but given the Conservative dominance of both the council and this ward I think it’s fair to say that when the votes are counted and the winner declared, it will be the Conservative candidate who will in the position of accepting his award as the new councillor and, perhaps with better luck than some Oscar winners, thank his family and the voters. The biggest and perhaps more interesting question will be will UKIP, who have a track record of doing well at the first attempt and then having a terrible time thereafter, hold their second place and if not, will Labour take second or the Liberal Democrats? And what about the Greens standing for the first time in this electoral cycle? Will they become the new opposition? As they said in all the great movies “Coming Soon to a screen near you!”

Local election preview compiled by Harry Hayfield

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