Boris Johnson walked away from the counter of the Sorbetto ice cream parlour in Ramsgate, happily chomping his way through a bubble gum-flavoured cone with television cameras just inches from his face.
“Oh, we didn’t pay,” he told Conservative candidate for South Thanet Craig Mackinlay, before he turned full of apologies to Sorbetto’s owner with a crumpled note in hand.
“He left a tip too – which I shall share later with my staff,” said the owner approvingly, looking on as Johnson continues his progression down the seafront of the Kentish town.
He had arrived an hour earlier only to be greeted by a small group of young Ukip supporters who upset Johnson’s scheduled words with journalists about plans to improve train services.
Moments before, a flaxen-haired blue-suited Conservative had tried to persuade workmen to move a truck-mounted advertising hoarding, extolling Ukip’s plans to redevelop Manston Airport.
Ukip's leader, Nigel Farage, is contesting South Thanet, which he must win if he is to remain at the centre of British politics after May 7th. He is still the bookies' favourite, but his odds are shortening.
Immigration
The Tories dearly want his head. Senior officials have been brought in from London, while their candidate, Mackinlay – himself a former Ukip member – is seen as “Farage-lite” and is there to comfort locals concerned about immigration.
National issues, such as immigration, figure prominently, illustrated by Ukip’s billboard on the outskirts of town showing escalators up against the White Cliffs of Dover. But local issues matter more, it seems.
Given such feelings, the Conservatives play up Farage’s carpet-bagging reputation.
“We’re reminding people that he himself has said that local Ukip councillors will do the work after May 7th,” said one.
In recent weeks, the Tories have become confident about defeating Farage, though there was a paltry turnout of local members for the Johnson/Mackinlay walkabout.
“They could have had two good local candidates, but Conservative HQ decided to impose someone from outside. Yes, he is from Chatham [50 miles away] but he is not from Thanet,” said one local.
South Thanet has been represented since 2010 by Laura Sandys, a rarity in Conservative politics because she is strongly in favour of Britain's membership of the European Union and is prepared to campaign for it.
So far, her appearances in the constituency at the side of the tanned, ever-smiling Mackinlay have been kept to a minimum, as she would hold none of his views.
Star appeal
Johnson’s appearance on the streets of Ramsgate was met warmly, if not ecstatically, testifying to the fact that the mayor of London has more star appeal than most others taking part in this general election.
“Oh, my God, Boris has shaken my hand. Oh, yeah,” said a man in his late 30s, even if he did pay little attention to Johnson’s spiel about Mackinlay.
So far, Johnson has played a relatively minor role in the Tory campaign, despite prime minister David Cameron’s declaration that he wanted his “best people on the pitch”.
Given Farage’s profile, South Thanet will attract global attention on May 7th. Privately, Ukip accepts there is a battle to be fought, but believes the party leader can win.
Labour candidate Will Scobie has the advantage of being born in Thanet.
“Farage is an incredible motivating force for us. People want to get involved to make sure that he is not the MP,” said Labour worker Mark Nottingham.
The Kent constituency is not on Labour’s lits of its top 106 targets, though party headquarters has given £8,000 (€11,000) to the local party organisation. “But we have raised £50,000 in small donations,” Nottingham said.
Labour also has 26 councillors fighting for re-election. “So we have them out there every day fighting for their own seats, so we are winning the ground war,” Nottingham said.
Comedian Al Murray entered the race some months back with his Free United Kingdom Party, but has not been very visible since. Some locals disgruntled with politics may vote for him, rather than Farage.
Before he headed back to London, Johnson went for one final stroll along the seafront shops and bars, causing a minor panic at a junction when a woman stopped her car in the middle of the road.
“Oh, Boris, I love you,” she declared, her hand waving out the window. Seeing her, Johnson tried to cross the road to go back to her, shouting: “Here, have a leaflet.”
Thatcher
However, customers of a local pub were less enthused. Builder John Johnson from Stepney in east London fumed about immigration. “Get rid of the foreigners and look after the English,” he told Johnson.
“I seem to spend all of my time building houses for foreigners and getting poorly paid for it. I don’t believe any of these people. They’re rich and they’re staying that way.”
So would Johnson – the builder – vote Ukip in his constituency?
"No way. I don't trust Farage. He's sneaky. Bring back Maggie Thatcher, that's what I say. She gave people a chance to get a leg-up."
