Football is becoming an increasing problem for Janet Anderson. A friend has recently acquired a box at Turf Moor and started to invite the MP and her partner Jim Down to go and watch Burnley.

But with constituency divided between Clarets fans in Rossendale and Blackburn Rovers supporters in Darwen, this creates a tricky balancing act with the voters.

She said: "As a result I find I am having to go to Ewood Park more often. I can't be seen by Darwen people to be spending more time watching Burnley than Blackburn''.

But the problem gets worse. Her sons James and David are keen Rovers fans. Mrs Anderson said: "They take a dim view of me going to Turf Moor.''

This means that every Saturday she is in East Lancashire on the horns of a domestic and political football dilemma!

Burnley MP Peter Pike should be in line for a gong in next year's Queen Birthday honours after persuading an elderly constituent to give up a lifetime of Republicanism!

The pensioner wrote to him on the issue of the Monarchy a few weeks ago.

Mr Pike said: "It was a pretty strong letter. She said the Monarchy was outdated and irrelevant and should be scrapped. She said it cost far too much and was unnecessary.

"I wrote back saying that I was in favour of keeping the Monarchy. I told her that I accepted it needed to be slimmed down and modernised.

"In addition, I wrote that the clinching argument for me was the thought of what Margaret Thatcher would have been like had she been head of state as well as Prime Minister.

"Just before I came to this week's Labour conference I got a very nice letter from the woman saying that had persuaded her after a lifetime of Republicanism to become 'a moderate Monarchist'.

"I just hope Buckingham Palace is taking note!"