Role models?

An uncharacteristically blustering performance by Mike German on BBC Wales radio this morning guaranteed that journalists & political opponents would go scuttling off to re-examine current Lib Dem election literature. Their understandable aim being to see how many other candidates have emulated their leader Kirsty Williams and Cardiff North hopeful John Dixon by using models or “stand-ins”.

The party defence is that pictures of candidates talking with public service workers are purely “illustrative” – presumably in case we dumb shits don’t know what a nurse or a police officer looks like. However, it seems that we are not sufficiently thick so that we might mistake such people as being real and believe that they allowed themselves to be photographed because they support the candidates and the party.

Not surprisingly, Welsh Lib Dems have denied charges of misrepresentation and stressed that Kirsty Williams was not "complicit in the impersonation of a police officer" – although it’s difficult to think what other aim the photo was intended to achieve.

Despite the low expectations that Lib Dems apparently have of voters to work things out for themselves, the electorate will undoubtedly take a dim view of this dubious practice of impersonation and the pathetic rationale offered up as justification. It will also prompt them to take a second critical look at election leaflets and ask themselves if the people depicted, such as the un-named health worker pictured alongside Swansea West Lib Dem candidate Peter May, are actually the real thing.

Update: Cardiff Lib Dem MP Jenny Willott is added to the list.