In Britain my former EastEnders acting colleague Michael Cashman, MEP, has successfully moved into full- time politics.

If he had been an Indian star-turned politician, his popularity would be multiplied a hundredfold.

The Indian film industry produces the largest number of films in the world. There are over a dozen movie actors and entertainers, more than ever before, in the 2009 election cycle.

Where substantive issues are missing in lacklustre campaigns, stars can generate crowds. But voters aren’t fooled.

"I go [to rallies] because I want to see them up close," said one taxi driver. "But I don't trust them. They're actors."

In one town in the state of Bihar, actor and television talk-show host, Shekhar ‘Shaker’ Suman, is running for Congress, while his BJP opponent, Shatrughan ‘Shotgun’ Sinha, is a movie star and judge on the country’s most popular talent show. Sinha explains his move into politics simply.

"Glamour has limited power, whereas power has unlimited glamour."

Chiranjeevi, a South Indian superstar, started his own political party, supported by fellow actors. At million-strong rallies, he plays clips, often featuring him shirtless,
from his most popular film dance sequences.

The would-be chief minister of key swing-state Tamil Nadu is 53-year-old Jayalalitha, film siren turned grisly politician. At least three of this state’s chief ministers have been celluloid actors. Two have been script writers.

BJP leader L.K.Advani is competing with a professional dancer, Mallika Sarabhai, for his seat. She gets louder cheers for her dance displays than she does for her stump speeches.

Film actor Sinha acknowledges, "The crowd doesn't always translate into votes." While India awaits the results of the 2009 election, Mr Suman figures, if he fails, he can always go back to Bollywood.

"Once an actor," he says, "always an actor."

Ranisingh.blogspot.com

Obama might have shown than a black man can become president but over here the most basic rungs of local government appear to be out of reach to most minority ethnic candidates.

Harriet Harman this week pointed out that only around 150 out of 19,000 councillors across England are minority ethnic women. This is actually a fall on two years ago when the figure stood at 164.

It means minority ethnic women make up less than one per cent of all local authority representatives.

Sure there are all sorts of reasons for this beyond racism (women of all backgrounds often have to cope with the demands of caring for home, family and career while men concentrate on the latter).

But it's still a pathetic figure and it doesn't bode well if we are looking for a minority ethnic woman to fill senior local government or central government roles.

While the rest of the country obsessed over the US elections, Parliament took its own momentous decision: it moved the date of next year’s local elections.

With local elections originally scheduled for 7 May 2009 and European elections already locked down for 4 June 2009, the government applied to move the former’s polling date so voters would not face the hassle of having to go to their polling station twice in one month. After all, if voters keep expressing their opinion, they might expect government to listen.

Was there an election yesterday or something?

Meanwhile in local government news, there's a bit of an argument brewing between lap-dancing clubs and councils and MPs. Jacqui Smith announced on Oct 9th that she will give councils new controls over strip clubs, probably by reclassifying them as sex encounter establishments.

The Lap Dancing Association (LDA), yes it exists and was formed in 2006, says that their opponents only have a moral argument and that you can't judge their legitimate industry by that measure. They marched, possibly in stilletos, to No10 to hand in a petition signed by nearly 3,000 people.

There are now around 300 strip clubs in Britain. Where should strip clubs go if there's local demand? I wouldn't want one in my backyard - are any councillors willing to speak out in favour of them?

Last week there was quite a detailed discussion in the school playground between parents on how accurate the America polls might be.

Who knew that the Bradley effect could become common currency rather than a psephological speciality?

We'll find out over the next 24 hours (providing there is no re-run of 2000). I’ve invited parents to drop in on the way to and from school on Wednesday morning to have a cookie or bagel and watch the fnial stages of the Presidential election.

Beyond the natural interest of this fascinating race should people in this little Wiltshire village really care?

Actually, it’s the primary school mums and dads who are most likely to be affected.

Half of the children at the village school are from service families. My daughter is used to making friends with children who stay for a year and then suddenly leave as their father is posted elsewhere.

And of course significant numbers have served or are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Whichever of the candidates wins will have an impact on Britain’s role in those countries which will percolate down to our community.

One aspect of having so many service families is that it can play havoc with school budgets.

Every January there is a count of pupil numbers and based on that the school gets its funding. However, the MoD might move significant numbers of personnel around any time.

It could be good for the school if its numbers drop and so it has more funds per head. Or it could work the other way.

If you sign up for the forces then the unexpected is what, well, you expect. However it’s hardly an ideal way for a school to operate when its budget plans are subject to such an arbitrary snapshot.

Should we devise a different forumla for schools with a high proportion of service children?