Positively negative

Whilst he’s not the first ever politician to suffer from this ailment, it’s disappointing that Mr Buckland — who claims not to be a career politician — in his latest leaflet struggles to distinguish positive campaigning from the negative.

Other parties in this campaign have spent a lot of time knocking their opponents. I am not interested in that. Our campaign has been positive and is all about what we want to achieve for our future.

So just what is positive about implying that the current incumbent in South Swindon is ‘tainted’?

I represent a fresh start for South Swindon, untainted by the discredited politics of the recent past.

I’m also sure that he’s well aware of Ms Snelgrove’s reputation for being the government’s representative in South Swindon when he makes a final plea.

Please give me the chance to serve as your new MP, who will be your representative at Westminster, not Westminster’s representative in South Swindon.

Mr Buckland may not yet be a career politician, but he’s clearly more than content to use the ‘skills’ from his barrister career to practice the politicians’ black art of spin.