Welcome David Campbell-Bannerman MEP

Welcome to David Campbell-Bannerman MEP who today has returned to the Conservative Party from the UK Independence Party of which he was formerly chairman.

Mr Campbell-Bannerman will join the East of England's excellent team of Conservative MEPs, Geoffrey Van Orden, Vicky Ford and Robert Sturdy and sit with the only practical and effective Conservative grouping in the European Parliament that opposes ever-greater political integration, the European Conservatives and Reformists.

It is well known that UKIP MEPs are often absent and fail to stand up for British interests in the European parliament.

UPDATE: David comments on his own move on the Blue Blog and Cambridge Conservative Deputy Chairman Timothy Haire welcomes David as a new member of Cambridge Conservatives.

Postal Votes being received

Postal ballot papers for the County and Euro elections should have been posted late last week, and will be arriving imminently if not already.

We would encourage everyone to return them promptly, but if it does get too late to post, they can be returned (fully completed per the instructions) to your usual polling station on polling day, June 4th. The instructions need to be followed very carefully, especially the declaration, or the vote won't count (I understand that if the signature or date of birth is missing/wrong, the ballot papers aren't even opened...). If you need to be issued with a new ballot paper, or need any help, please ring electoral services at the City Council on 01223 457048.

The Euro ballot paper is a bit of a monster - 14 parties. I would urge everyone to vote Conservative obviously, but I was having chat in the pub last week with a friend who works for Labour's Eastern region MEP. 

We disagree on many things, but the one thing we did agree on was what a bizarre reaction to the expenses problems of MPs a UKIP vote would be. They really do win hands down when it comes to dreadful behaviour or failing to stand up for their constituents. Of the 12 elected at the last European elections, one-third have left or been expelled since. 1, Ashley Mote was found guilty of 21 counts of fraud and sent to jail. Another, the Eastern region's Tom Wise has been charged with false accounting and money laundering. And the ones that do remain have failed to stick up for British interests in Europe - voting to let French and Spanish trawlors fish in British waters, voting against laws to cut down on red tape, and voting against free trade to open up markets and help developing countries. No wonder former leader Robert Kilroy-Silk said "Frankly I don't rate any [of UKIP's MEPs]... I was embarassed at their behaviour, their naivety and their immaturity and their stupidity"

If a protest vote now allows a hard working Conservative MEP, who would stand up for Britain to be replaced by another UKIP waste of space (or worse), it would be very bad news for Britain.

I've already posted my ballot paper!

Full list of candidates

The full list of candidates at the City Council elections is now available here. The usual suspects are standing in Coleridge, and it is a re-run of last year's contest between myself and Labour's sitting Councillor who was 18 votes ahead last year.

UKIP are also standing again. It was very frustrating watching where UKIP voters second votes went last year, as it is quite clear that they cost the Conservatives the chance of getting a Councillor elected. It will be the same for potential UKIP voters again this year - if you want to help the fanatically pro-EU Labour party stay in power, even after they broke their promises of a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, then carry on voting UKIP - I can't think of any other reason to vote for them!