At Pennywell Farm in Devon, workers have come up with a novel way of predicting the outcome of a British election too close for any but the boldest pundits and politicians to call – political pig racing.
Five miniature pigs, representing Britain’s main parties, are conducting their own campaign battle on the track as they race every day until the May 7 vote.
With just two weeks to go, neither Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives nor the main opposition Labour Party have managed to establish a clear lead in the polls. All may hang on how an array of smaller parties fare. Each afternoon at the farm in southwest England, the pigs wear tops in party colours for a daily race that attracts dozens of spectators who cheer them on.
Donning blue for the Conservatives is David Hameron while Ed Swiliband, his name inspired by Labour leader Ed Miliband, is dressed in red.
Nigel Forage runs in purple, the colour of anti-EU UK Independence Party lead by Nigel Farage, while Pork Clegg, dressed in yellow, represents the Liberal Democrats led by Nick Clegg. A fifth pig, Pork Scratching, is dressed in grey to represent smaller parties.
“They do share several characteristics with politicians, they like to have their snout in the trough sometimes,” Pennywell owner Chris Murray said. “Sometimes they can make you feel pig sick, often they are hamming it up.” – Reuters