If, like me, you were one of the 12,000 people who was a candidate in 2012’s local elections you may have received a letter recently from Plymouth University’s Elections Centre, run by Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, inviting you to take part in an online questionnaire:

This year the centre has ran its seventh annual candidate survey for the Local elections. Over 12,000 candidates stood for election to local government this year and we are lucky enough to have sampled 6,450 of them (i.e. sent a letter inviting them to participate in the survey). We do this to collate information not only about the kinds of people that stand, but also their motives for standing and their experience of the election campaign. The survey’s results have typically been used for Academic research. In the past we have produced data and reports for organisations such as the IDEA (Improvement & DEvelopment Agency), The Electoral Commission and the London Councils.

If you haven’t yet completed your survey, then you can do so now by clicking here. You’ll need the unique reference number enclosed with the letter you’ll have received from the Election Centre to start the questionnaire. If you’ve any questions at all, please contact the Centre directly via email ([email protected]) or phone (01752 586020).

And in case you need any further incentive, apparently all those who complete the questionnaire will be entered into a prize draw for M&S gift vouchers. Remember, this isn’t just a Local Election Survey, this is an M&S… [/silkily seductive voice]

* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.