ALTHOUGH polling day is still a few months away — May 6 according to loose-tongued cabinet ministers — the General Election campaigners are beginning to stir themselves, with definite signs of activity in our local constituencies.

I have just received an election leaflet calling for my vote. It was pushed through the letter box by a canvasser who didn't bother to knock.

Bright and colourful, with several photographs of the lady who hopes to be a Tory MP, it gives her views on pensions, social care, farming, education and other topics likely to stimulate debate in those frenetic days before we make our choice.

There is also a questionnaire posing some quite interesting ideas. Such as: Should members of the public and not just party members be involved in choosing the party's candidate? (Don't really care.)

Should local people have the power to force a by-election if they are unhappy with their current MP? (Yes.)

Should the Human Rights Act be replaced by a British Bill of Rights which spells out the extent and limit of rights more clearly? (Yes again.)

No point in my getting the pen out to fill it in, however, because there is a major snag. The questions are asked by Anne Marie Morris, prospective Conservative MP for Newton Abbot (currently Teignbridge) — and we live in the South Hams.

A great pity her helper didn't bother to call. We could have pointed out that Teignbridge begins at the crossroads half a mile or so down the lane. He or she had strayed into foreign territory.

And, for once, you can't blame Sat-nav.