It was the former Soviet leader Nikita Kruschev who declared: "A political election is a circus wrestling match." But did he, we wonder, have family tag teams in mind when he said it?

If he did, his comment seems tailor-made for this year's local elections in the borough of Barnet. For when we go to the circus on May 7 to choose our council, no less than six pairs of candidates will be related.

Husbands and wives are doing it, mothers and children are doing it -- soon educated fleas will be doing it. It seems that the ties that bind us are an irresistible force and, for some, politics simply runs in the family.

It certainly seems that way with the McGuirks. Katherine is already Labour's councillor in St Paul's ward. Four years ago her mother Mary tried to join the council but failed to win in Finchley. Next month Mary will be giving it another go.

"My mum was in the Labour Party a long time before me and she helped me when I started in Finchley," said Katherine.

"All the family has been involved and politics is something that has always been around. I vaguely remember the General Election in 1979 and I know that when Thatcher became MP for Finchley that galvanised my mother's political efforts."

Mary's political heritage has its roots in Lancashire, where her grandfather was a committed trade union member and her mother was a staunch Labour voter.

All her three daughters are Labour Party members and she is proud of Katherine's political success. "We have always talked about politics at home, which has spawned many arguments -- it's a good job we're on the same side," Mary commented.

Not so far away, in Colindale, Labour councillor Danish Chopra will be hoping to hold on to his seat and will be keeping his fingers crossed for mother Usha, who represents East Barnet. "I was born into the Labour Party," he mused. "From an early age we had Labour people coming round and it was assumed that when I reached 16 I would join the party -- and I did.

"You can't help but talk about politics at home -- my mother and I will always discuss it. I think politics is in the blood. Even as a small kid I was exposed to it when my father used to take me to anti-Vietnam demonstrations outside the US embassy."

Political families are nothing new. But according to Professor Geoffrey Alderman, who teaches politics at Middlesex University, the number of local dynasties competing in next month's elections is quite high.

"Politics does run in some families but whether it gives candidates any particular advantage depends very much on local circumstances," he said. "Some families are well-known and I would imagine that has its benefits.

"Often if one has been brought up in a political family it puts ideas into the child's head about what career he or she wants to pursue." Note: Professor Alderman firmly denied the existence of a political gene.

But if politics does run in the blood, after a fashion, then it can also be transmitted through marriage vows. Of several 'dream tickets' on offer, the most high-profile is the Liberal Democrat coupling of Susette and Monroe Palmer in Childs Hill.

Although former mayor Susette insists it was not politics that compelled her to say "I do", it has certainly become a major factor in the relationship.

"We both started off in politics because we felt we could do something for the locality," Susette explained. "The strength of running together is that people have a choice when we are out canvassing. If they want to talk to a woman they have me and if it's a man they want then Monroe is on hand.

The man in question is himself a former councillor and treasurer of the national Liberal party. He added: "A Palmer has been a councillor here in Childs Hill for the last 12 years. Our strength is that we have different things to offer. I am interested in the financial side of local government while Susette's area of speciality is housing, libraries and the borough's parks.

"Politics is something to enjoy but at the same time we feel we do a lot of good. And it runs very much in the family; our two sons help us but neither has ever stood. It doesn't dominate the dinner table conversation but we do talk a lot about people and issues."

Maureen and René Braun are the Conservative's golden couple. She's standing in Hendon, he's standing in West Hendon. Maureen, a former Camden councillor, said: "I have always been interested in politics and I suppose René used to take a lot of my calls and help out with residents' problems. He loves meeting new people and eventually he thought he'd give it a whirl.

"We've never tried to indoctrinate our children. We preferred to let them think for themselves -- otherwise you become a humourless robot."

Ashley Gunstock is the Green Party candidate for Finchley and this will be his third attempt to break into local politics. He will be hoping his new wife Louise will meet with similar success in Garden Suburb ward.

"Louise used to be Labour but we had a heart-to-heart and she decided she wanted to help the Green Party," Ashley stated. "We are doing this in the face of adversity because it's very very hard to sell our politics because we're asking people to make compromises."

Arkley Labour councillor Anita Campbell is standing again and this time husband Brian will also be in the running. They were away on holiday and unavailable for comment. Will they, like all the others, be a pair of happy campers on May 7? Come and see the circus, folks -- only you can decide.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.