It’s been 11 days since the Prime Minister called the General Election, and the candidate lists are still in flux.

The main parties (Con, Lab, Lib Dem, Green and Reform) have announced their chosen representatives for all three of our local constituencies – Harrogate and Knaresborough, Skipton and Ripon, and the newly created Wetherby and Easingwold.

But Green candidate Anna Jacobs withdrew from the Wetherby and Easingwold race on Wednesday citing “personal reasons”, and at the time of writing had not yet been replaced. A scattering of independents are also expected to throw their hats into the ring. They have until 4pm on Friday to submit their nomination.

Of course, their names and party colours will be of little interest to some jaded voters. The Stray Ferret’s journalists were out and about across the district last week to gauge public opinion, and several people told us that the parties are “all the same”.

Whatever the differences – or similarities – between their manifestoes, there certainly appears to be a contrast between the parties in Westminster, where the term “three-ringed circus” often appears applicable, and locally, where things tend to be a little more subdued.

Nationally, the Conservatives have suffered three bruising MP defections to Labour in recent weeks, causing unease among the Tories and dissent within Labour. The Lib Dems haven’t been immune from drama either, with observers looking on agog as wetsuit-clad party leader Sir Ed Davey disported himself this week for a couple of water-based photoshoots, which were apparently designed to show he doesn’t take himself too seriously, but arguably did little more than gift the tabloids with a thousand “unedifying” images.

In our local constituencies, though, there have been no such shenanigans – not a waterslide to be seen. But there has been a touch of confusion over whether Andrew Jones, who until Thursday's Dissolution of Parliament was MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, misused public funds for his website.

That said, even this muddle appears not to have been caused locally, but by IPSA, a body based in Westminster.

Over the coming week, we’ll be taking a look at Mr Jones’ record as a constituency MP, as well as that of Julian Smith, his colleague in Skipton and Ripon.

Following our travels around the patch last week, we’ll also be bringing you voters’ views from Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Ripon, Pateley Bridge and Harrogate. We asked people about their policy priorities and voting intentions to get a reading on the public mood. It makes for interesting reading, and we’ll be publishing the results throughout the coming week.

Asked what she would give the government for its performance, one self-confessed Rishi fan in Boroughbridge – an outlier, it should be said – replied “10 out of 10”. By contrast, another constituent grimly suggested “the guillotine?”.

Maybe things aren’t going to be so subdued up here after all. 

This election diary was written by John Grainger, senior journalist. John Plummer is away.