Charlestown By-Election: First the Good News ...

Both Searchlight and Unite Against Fascism have been active in this ward to combat the threat of the BNP in Thursday's by-election. The BNP themselves are doing a pretty bog standard new-fascist campaign, muttering and grouching about this that and the other in the manner of the Lib Dems themselves.

So, so far, so so. But then we come to the Lib Dems themselves. They may well place fourth of five in the contest. Unfortunately though they reckon to be a major party and all that. Only they can beat Labour. Dodgy bar charts. Two horse races. Claiming credit they do not deserve. Calling local grafters "Blair's candidate". Featuring George Bush. So very very negative.

They could do with following the BNP lead and pursuing the real local issues which come under the auspices of the Council. But this reality bores Lib Dems. It offers little opportunity to score points. We have a great City and a great Council.

Schools are improving, Anti-social behaviour and crime are falling. Police and support officers are rising. The grass is cut. The flowers are blooming.

There is a real pride in the area and less litter, graffiti and eyesores than in some other wards. There are good community facilities, including new ones in neighbouring areas keeping their young people occupied. The parks too are continuously improving. Recycling is increasing.

So what do the Lib Dems do? They continue to tell their fibs about bin collections being reduced to fortnightly. And what's this? They are running another campaign too? What's that you say? About hospital facilities closing? Reminiscent of their scandalous Christie Hoax where cancer patients desperate to survive and undergoing difficult regimes of chemo- and radio-therapy had leaflets telling them their lifeline was closing. How callous and ruthless can you get?

I have yet to see the leaflet and the specific exaggerations, insinuations and fibs they are hawking this time.

I'm glad they're running some sort of campaign though. They did very little in Higher Blackley where the BNP surged. While the BNP scratched their back with a low intensity campaign in a nearby Lib Dem target seat.

Lib Dem health hoax tactics in Manchester are despicable. Whatever the ins and outs of their new campaign.