We’ve just got through the leadership election and now two of our other MPs are facing off against each other.

Well, their cats are.

Wendy Chamberlain’s Hobbes and Jamie Stone’s Hattie are taking part in Purr Minister 2020, run by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Lib Dems have been successful before. Annette Brooke’s Billy won in 2015.

Wendy and Jamie have both taken to Twitter to drum up votes for their gorgeous cats.

#VoteHattie because I went through the effort of writing a poem for her 👉 https://t.co/n8fGhlp1QL https://t.co/ffUEEacQ58 pic.twitter.com/d9gKHQSJNB

— Jamie Stone MP (@Jamie4North) October 1, 2020

And Hobbes posed a slight dilemma for Scottish Lib Dem Women

Does it count as #GirlsSupportingGirls if Hobbes is a boy cat? We're willing to make an exception here and urge you to go vote for @wendychambLD's very cute cat! https://t.co/dR3hi8O0nH

— Scottish Lib Dem Women (@sldwomen) October 1, 2020

His manifesto is:

I’m named for the cartoon character and not the philosopher, but the social contract is purrly on my terms.
• Enshrine animal sentience in UK law – a furball no-brainer
• Guarantee a cosy sleeping place of our choosing – usually not the pet bed
• Let us lick your toast – that might just be me

Hobbes stole my heart some years ago, so I had to vote for him. I love Hobbes and I have been judged by Hobbes. I also know that Wendy and her family committed the outrage of bringing a PUPPY into his domain two years ago. Hobbes is allowed upstairs but Tamlyn is not and Hobbes delights in taunting Tamlyn from above.

Poor Hobbes is grossly under-represented in the Instagram account he shares with Tamlyn, although there is one photo of a gift that he caught for his humans. Don’t look if you are in any way squeamish. I’d forgotten about it…

He is also a regular in the village, visiting the pub and bistro and sleeping in the gift shop window.

The winner will not be announced until 27th October, so you don’t have to decide between them just yet. But when you do, vote here.

The charity was only allowed to operate an emergency only service during lockdown, but still provided great advice on issues like how to care for your animals if you needed to self isolate.

They’ve been going for 160 years now and it’s worth helping them keep going through this very difficult period by donating here.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social