The new Red Wall Tory MP for Bassetlaw has been slightly overzealous in Covid inspired community engagement. Over the weekend, Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith thanked one Marjorie Dawes as the ‘Best of Bassetlaw’ for her work in the local community during lockdown. The new MP said his office was:

“… inundated with people wanting to say a big THANK YOU for keeping their mental and physical health in check during lockdown. You’re not only a motivator, but a friend, a lifeline, and a confidant to many. Marjorie, you’re a star – thank you”

The only problem with this is Marjorie is not the proprietor of a local slimming club, rather a fictional Little Britain character played by Matt Lucas. Clarke-Smith appears to have fallen for a prank email campaign…

UPDATE: Brendan tells Guido…

“It seems there was a bit of a ‘kerfuffle’ involving a prank against my Westminster office last week.

“It’s a shame that a campaign that pays homage to our local heroes has been mocked but we’ll ‘dust’ ourselves off and continue to serve and promote those doing great work in Bassetlaw.”

Classic…