Eggs, airbrushing and baby boys

23 days to go and the British Election campaign wouldn't be normal with out some eggs. And Tony was the target as he left a conference speach in Oldham. No egg on his face. But Howard's party may be trying to wipe the egg from their faces as airbrushed photos used in a Conservative Party Campaign backfired. Dorset South Conservative Party candidate was used in a doctored photograph campaigning against immigration. The original picture showed Dorset South candidate Ed Matts carrying a photo of an asylum seeker, next to Ann Widdecombe holding a placard saying "let them stay". In the "doctored" version, Mr Matts has a placard saying "controlled immigration" and Ms Widdecombe has one saying "not chaos and inhumanity". He has refused to stand down. Howard's "staged and choreographed" [Sky News] campaign spent today in Kettering. Meanwhile Charles Kennedy has left the chaos of the election campaign for the bedside of his wife, Sarah, who late last night gave birth to a baby boy. Sir Menzies Campbell is taking the Lib Dem campaign to the road in the meantime, but no word yet on their Manifesto launch [delayed apparently, again]. The Greens launched theirs saying that 'climate change was a bigger threat than terrorism'. And what of the other parties? Well no mention so far in the mainstream media of any of the small parties. UKIP, Veritas, Monster Raving Loony Party [yes, still going but with only 20 candidates], BNP, Liberal Party and Respect, amongst others, are not taken very seriously in the media. Until they become a 'threat' or a funny 'and finally' story. 16:56 BST 12/04/2005