Pencils and envelopes

I've just looked up the results coming in from the local body elections in Britain and come across this curious bit of information on the BBC's election blog:

The Tories have lost a seat on the length of a pencil!

After three recounts in Wheathampstead in St Albans, the Lib Dems and the Tories both had 1132. The result was decided by whoever picked the longest pencil - and the Lib Dems picked a longer one, taking it from the Tories.

But they won Crawley won on the strength of picking an envelope.

Pencils and envelopes?! Is that really the best the Brits can manage? How about an arm wrestle, a penalty shootout, a game of poker, a drinking contest, a quiz?

For info on how left of Labour candidates are doing, check out the Socialist Unity election page here.