WE'RE still 97 days away from the General Election, if you're keeping tabs, but Labour's Worcester parliamentary candidate Joy Squires isn't half starting early.

In the last few days Labour's Jack Dromey, Dan Jarvis, a man tipped in some quarters to be the next party leader, the glorious Caroline Flint and Hilary Benn, shadow communities secretary, have visited the city to help her grab the initiative.

During Mrs Flint's trip last Saturday, who as shadow climate change secretary is sure to get pulses racing among the good folk of Warndon and Tolladine, a Labour activist among them tweeted how much he was looking forward to lunch at the Balti Mahal in Astwood Road.

There's something about Labour and curry, as fondly witnessed in 2006, when the infamous failed plot to knife Tony Blair and replace him with Gordon Brown was hatched at Wolverhampton curry house Bilash by Rupert Murdoch's arch enemy, Tom Watson.

Should polling disaster Ed Miliband be worried about what argy-bhaji is being cooked up in Worcester? He'll be having naan of that gossiping.

* ON the verge of cracking up, Worcestershire County Council's chairman Pam Davey has had a tough time trying to keep all 57 politicians in order during recent months, such is the rampant 'Punch and Judy' attitude around County Hall.

She tells us she has a saying, next to her bed at home, stating: "If you don't tell people where you are going, the only people who will follow you are those who like disaster movies".

I'll send over the shrink.

*TALKING about the well-being of our politicians, County Hall’s leader Councillor Adrian Hardman was asked about flooding recently, given that we’re very nearly at the first anniversary of 2014’s inconvenient torrent which cost taxpayers £640,000 and damaged 160-odd properties.

“Flooding is a bit like the mother-in-law coming to stay for Christmas, it’s not unexpected, but when she goes,” he said, before wisely deciding to trail off before exploring the comparison further.

Just don’t repeat this at home eh!

* IN recent months district councils have made it pretty clear they have no appetite whatsoever to merge Worcestershire bin collections.

This week, Worcester City Council reveals it has sent letters to all the districts, and those just over the border, inviting them to do so.

Can The Source request a postage refund on behalf of taxpayers?