I am getting to know the other candidates quite well now having done three hustings with them.

Got another one tomorrow when I shall probably be giving them the high fives. And then again, perhaps not.

Last night’s hustings at Christ Church in Nelson was hosted by Building Bridges and chaired with skill by Brian Astin.

I note that Andrew Stephenson, the Ashcroft funded Conservative, always agrees with me when he is asked a question and doesn’t have the faintest idea how best to answer it. This was blindingly obvious when asked to comment on Kashmir.

Afzal Anwar, now revelling in his Ladbrokes 6/1 status, also agrees with me quite often.

However, there are no shades of grey in Anwar’s answers, only black and white. 1997 is year zero for Anwar when bad things started to happen in Pendle.

His long circuitous answers meander all over the place. When he is not agreeing with me he is holding me responsible for everything that has gone wrong. There is, alas, no sophistication to his answers. Curious really given he is a barrister.

He uses the Lib Dem manifesto as a visual aid, waving it about to impress people. I think it is his comfort blanket.

Having it close to hand gives him reassurance that he is not alone. The answers are in the book.

We were asked about bringing blue light A&E back to Burnley General. Stephenson tells us that Andrew Lansley, the Conservative health spokesman, has promised to reinstate it. Just like that! Pity the commitment is not in the Conservative manifesto.

Anwar said something about raising a £10 per head tax on local people to get it back. I shake my head as I listen to this bizarre statement. I don’t think Afzal will find it in the Lib Dem manifesto.

I report on a meeting I had with Professor Matthew Cooke, the National Director of Emergency and Urgent Care, who was due to publish a report on the issue on 31 March. The timetable slipped and nothing will appear until after the election. Unfortunately. Everyone knows my position. I want blue light A&E back.

Stephenson then claims we are all overtaxed, giving me the perfect opening to mention Ashcroft, the tax dodger who is bankrolling the lavish Conservative campaign in Pendle.

He has to take it on the chin. He knows we know Ashcroft is a tax cheat.

Ashcroft is a ball and chain around Stephenson’s ankles, hobbling any case he tries to make on taxation, benefit claims, transparency in politics and much else besides.

I haven’t mentioned Graham Cannon, the likeable and smiley UKIPPER. He likes to talk about referendums.

The BNP candidate, James Jackson, didn’t turn up.