Canvassing voters for their views is a common election tactic to make sure your party’s policies are going down well on the doorsteps.
However it is debatable whether that works quite as well when you unwittingly target people actively campaigning against you.
The Courier can reveal the SNP’s Dunfermline by-election candidate, Shirley-Anne Somerville, sent a series of surveys to households around the town including the home of Tory rival candidate James Reekie, Labour’s local MP Thomas Docherty and Scottish Labour’s general secretary Ian Price.
Its accompanying letter said: “I’m the SNP candidate and I’d like your help. If elected, I’m determined to do my very best for you. To do that, I need to hear about your thoughts and concerns.
“I’d be grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to fill in and return the attached residents’ survey. It’ll help me to help you.”
Labour’s candidate in the contest, Cara Hilton, called the leaflet drop “hugely embarrassing for the SNP”.
She said: “Their campaign continues to falter, with their candidate unable to spell the constituency name properly, taking 18 days to finally apologise to the people of Dunfermline for the SNP selecting Bill Walker and Alex Salmond having to be dragged here at a low-key, media-only launch.
“The SNP are now so desperate they’re even asking the Tory candidate for help. It just goes to show that the lack of real local knowledge is seriously undermining the nationalist campaign.”
Mr Reekie laughed off the gaffe, while taking a dig at Ms Somerville’s refusal to move from her North Queensferry home even if she is elected.
He said: “I don’t really mind getting a letter from the SNP candidate. But one thing’s for sure, she won’t be getting one from me I only target voters who live in the constituency.”
Councillor Alice McGarry, Ms Somerville’s by-election agent, replied: “Given that it’s the Labour council planning to close local schools and Labour in the Scottish Parliament who want to impose prescription charges on people who are sick, people in Dunfermline constituency really deserve to know what Labour figures think about these attempts to turn the clock back in Fife.
“And the Tories agree with Labour that the people who depend on these services are part of a ‘something for nothing’ culture, so we need to hear from them too.
“The SNP sent them our survey letter and folk would love to know whether they stand with local people or with their party.”
Meanwhile, Ms Somerville has challenged Ms Hilton to make clear her position on the possibility of reintroducing prescription charges.