Aha. I found them at last. Here's the raw photos as used in the highly successful (ie, we won) Lib Dem spin doctori... er, election campaign in our VI Form mock election. I think I've actually got the posters I made them into lying around somewhere, so if I can find them, I'll scan them and stick them online instead/as well (depending on what people want).

Incidentally, I must apologise most sincerely to Gavin Robbie for this set of photos, as he is the central personality concerned. But hey, you can't be a politician without someone digging out embarassing secrets about you in the future...

Now, as I remember it, the three main party campaigns went something like this: The Conservatives relied on the fact that they had a small set of guaranteed votes, but didn't do a whole lot else; Labour spent the whole campaign slagging off the conservatives; and the Lib Dems actually went out, found out what their policies were, organised a campaign with a popular frontman while two political genii (Me and Chris Burt) ran a highly successful spin campaign from behind the scenes. But these memories could well be biassed, so feel free to correct me.

Anyway, these photos formed part of a series of posters demonstrating various positive personality traits on the part of Gav. I can't remember what they were originally and I sure as hell can't work it out from the photos (has hideous sideburns? likes flowers?) but I'm sure they were very clever and amusing, or something. Anyway. On with the photos.

• A closeup of Gavs ear. Check out the sideys.
• Gav Robbie, with the two conservative party members, Gav Clarke and Tim Marshall. Gav Clarke, incidentally, became a liberal democrat on coming to university. Current political affiliations are unknown as he doesn't answer his email. (Late news: see email from gav here on this very subject)
• Gav, Gav and Tim again.
• Gav giving a lecture with what looks like me and Sal in attendance.
• Gav in the quadrangle.
• Gav, in the quadrangle again.
• Gav with the school sign. His constituency, if you will.
• Gav with the school sign again.
• Gav by the entrance to the VI Form block.
• Gav, VI Form block entrance again.

It is true that on coming to University I did outlay the princely sum 
of £10 to join the Liberal Democrats (never was such a small sum 
expended on such a large waste of time).

I participated in no event, took part in no elections, and now no 
longer receive their correspondence, since I have allowed my 
membership (Ha Ha Ha) to lapse into the political dustbin of history.

I now find myself, therefore, in the enviable position of being a man 
with principles but no party. This is more, I feel, a consequence of 
the deplorable state of affairs in this country that poses as political 
debate than an action of my own choice. It does however, suit my 
temperament.

I am now, in truth, a resolute independent (but with the more 19th 
century liberal leanings, none of this hard line nonsense of New 
Labour to appease the stockbroker belt).


Yours sincerely,


Gavin Clarke

ex liberal party member (it was one of those experiences we all go 
through as a young man (as Michael Portillo might have said).

I apologise if anyone really hideously objects to anything I've put or said on this page. If you really have a problem with it, then email me and I'll remove it, but it's all meant to be in good humour (heck, I even put that photo of me with bad hair up, which I normally keep well hidden). All the photos are technically © Chris Whitworth 1997/9 but I'm not particularly bothered about what you do with them so long as you don't, like, sell them or use them in bizarre satanic rituals (not thinking of anyone in particular, John) or anything. Or use them to bribe/embarass me in later life.

Keep smiling, Chris Whitworth, 14th November 1999, whilst doing nothing much in particular other than listening to the Matrix soundtrack.