I think it was the 2006 council elections when I realised that there can be a strong correlation between what candidates of political parties are *meant* to look like, in popular consciousness, and what they actually *do* look like.
It was an edition of the Cambridge Evening News which listed photos of every local election candidate and every Tory was wearing a sharp suit and appeared to be sucking a slice of lemon, almost every Green looked as if they had spent the morning rolling around in a hedge eating twigs and so on. Ever since then I’ve always felt momentary admiration for candidates who break the stereotype and fleeting joy when they spectacularly conform.
So, as a little bit of fun, I thought I’d pose you a little quiz.
Below we see the pictures by-election candidates have submitted of themselves to the BBC and a list of the various parties they collectively represent in the three upcoming by-election battles. A few candidates do not have pictures which is almost certainly because they didn’t get it together to submit one, they do not appear, obviously.
All pics are taken from the BBC website (see here for answers Rotherham, Croydon, and Middlesbrough). I’m breaking you in easy with Middlesbrough where two candidates are wearing rosettes and the others are pretty easy to guess I reckon. I expect you to get all eight although if you muddle up the Tory and UKIPer I’ll understand – it’s your first time.
Taking it up a notch with the Rotherham candidates you’ll be hard pushed to get all ten, but anyone who doesn’t get the TUSC candidate should hang their head in shame. I’m imagining the photographer saying “Look TUSC-y! Grrrrr!” just before firing off a snap.
Lastly Croydon. For non-Londoners this should be the toughest, although it is slightly complicated by the fact that there are at least two well known candidates. If you get them all I would be a-bloody-stonished, although politicos resident to the Big Smoke should be able to make use of their head start.
Click each picture to have them automatically fit to screen.
Difficulty: Easy
Answers: Middlesbrough
Diffulty: Middling
Answers: Rotherham
Difficulty: Expert (for non-Londoners)
Answers: Croydon