WHEN die-hard Green Party supporter Phoebe Wyss saw a giant Conservative billboard go up in her front garden, there was only one man who could have been responsible.

But her Tory-supporting husband had also gone out for work as the sign went up, leaving her well-placed to take her revenge.

The “indignant” 74-year-old set to work and within an hour had covered up the Tory logo on the poster with a homemade one urging people to vote Green. She told The Argus: “My husband, without consulting me, has agreed for a huge placard advertising the Conservatives to be erected in our front garden.

“A couple of workmen employed by the Conservatives came around and put it up.

“They arrived just as my husband was leaving and so he probably said to them it is OK, so they did not knock on the door.

“I was indignant as I live here too and I’m not a Conservative supporter.”

Mrs Wyss, whose husband, John Kapp, 79, is a former Tory councillor, said it “did not feel right” for the household to be labelled as Conservative supporting, adding: “I feel that I need to make a statement about my authentic position.”

Mr Kapp said: “I loved it. I laughed when I saw it and congratulated her. I am a bit disappointed that someone has since been and taken it (the Green poster) off.

“When Phoebe complained about the Conservatives coming round [canvassing], I said, why don’t we get a green one, a red one... we could have a whole display around here.”

The house in Saxon Road is in Hove constituency currently represented by Conservative Mike Weatherley and where the party’s candidate Graham Cox faces opponents including the Green Party’s Christopher Hawtree and Labour’s Peter Kyle in Thursday’s general election.

Mrs Wyss said she supports the Greens because of their stance on climate change, while her husband supports the Tories because of their stance on the UK economy.

But politics had never come between them, she added, and she tries to avoid the subject at the dinner table.

Mrs Wyss, an astrologer and author of books including Inside the Cosmic Mind, said she was not usually particularly political outside of election time.

She added: “We are in a Conservative area but I still have to vote according to my principles.

About the poster dispute, Conservative candidate Mr Cox said: “That is the delights of the democracy. “I am grateful for the support, and fair play to the wife who disagrees as well.”

Background

In March, two Russian MPS were married despite their political differences.

Communist MP Denis Voronenkov married Maria Maksakova-Igenbergs, from the ruling One Russia party. It was said to be the country’s first ever marriage between opposing MPs.

Former Republican US vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan is married to prominent Democrat lobbyist Janna Ryan.

A Stanford University study found that matched political ideology caused people to be three per cent more eager to date a fictional prospect.