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The has done something a little odd.

It's told its supporters to "hold their nose" and vote for another party.

Extreme tactical voting.

The three candidates selected for UKIP's attentions in the east are: Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Douglas Carswell (Clacton) and unsurprisingly, Bob Spink (Castle Point), who now sits as an Independent (that's after he left the Tories... do keep up).

These lucky three Conservatives will now be spared any UKIP opposition in their constituencies and they have their Eurosceptic views to thank for that.

All this on the day political history was in the making as the UKIP former leader, Nigel Farrage, launched his campaign to unseat .

It's not the done thing to challenge the parliamentary seat of the Speaker but the history of this party, since its inception in the early 90's, has hardly followed the rule book, so it's no surprise to find the flamboyant Mr Farage chomping at the bit in .

He told us: "As recently as 1987 when was speaker, the two other parties stood against him in Croydon North."

As recently as that then.

"This idea that the other parties don't oppose the Speaker just shows you what a cosy consensus Westminster politics have become," he added.

John Bercow, spotted out on the stump, had this to say:"The convention is that major parties don't stand against the Speaker... the major parties are supporting me... the Speaker has to be impartial... I'm out campaigning. I campaign at every general election. General elections are about the pursuit of support. It would be presumptuous not to campaign."

Isn't it funny how attractive consensus can sound?

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