Has anyone seen this missing Tory candidate?

Conservatives in Southampton Itchen have hit upon a unique way of publicising their candidate for next year’s election: they’ve started asking if anyone has seen him.

Setting up social media accounts titled “Where’s Royston?”, the local party has started dragging around a cardboard cut-out of candidate Royston Smith and asking if anyone has seen him, presumably not realising that this highlights the absence of the actual candidate. Understanding that attempting to run an election campaign with a reluctant candidate might be quite tricky, here at LabourList we decided to try and help out.

Could we spot the Tory candidate posing by a grit bin?

No, that’s a cardboard cut-out.

Could we spot the Tory candidate relaxing by a dog poo sign?

Nope, that’s a cardboard cut-out too.

Maybe the Tory candidate is out leafleting?

Erm… no. Has anyone actually seen him about recently? We’ll keep looking.

On an unrelated note, Labour’s PPC for the seat, Rowenna Davis, did 200 hours of doorknocking during May.