Today marks the announcement of the candidacy of Mr Kevin Oliphant-Smith in Douglas North. Keen local politics followers will be aware that for six weeks in 2016 Mr Oliphant-Smith was also a Douglas Councillor who resigned citing personal reasons after a rather impressive video meltdown which seems to have now been totally purged from the internet. Around that time he also announced that he would be contesting the 2016 general election for Douglas East but ultimately didn’t stand for reasons which were unspecified. In 2020 Mr Oliphant-Smith was one of 10 candidates who contested the shock by-election in Douglas South caused by the sad demise of Bill Malarkey MHK. He received 132 votes which was 7 less than our much loved Accidental Partridge and current Middle candidate Mr David Fowler.
Crossing this period in 2019 Mr Oliphant-Smith announced, more than two years early, that he would be standing for Douglas East in 2021:
Given the number of false starts he has had so far we are pleased to see that The Oliphant has now decisively thrown his hat in the ring for 2021 [albeit in a slightly different Douglas constituency than originally announced] and we look forward to hearing all that he trumpety trumps to the eager voters of Douglas North.
Given the change of area and the existing field in Douglas North [which may potentially include David Ashford MHK who is yet to declare], and his past leanings towards high-profile online meltdowns, this may be another candidate worthy of a follow for connoisseurs of general election comedy.
