@joddcfc 1) Why should you tailor your UCAS statement to the demands of Warwick when you have 4 other options as well?
2) You should look at the plain literal meaning of 'controversy'.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/controversyI don't see how 'working with local politicians campaigning and canvassing (and even doing paid work at one point) would be classed as "controversial" to admissions officers?'
Controversial is when you say that David Cameron is a useless PM who has never done a proper day's work in his life and the reason why he is sad about Brexit is because after he completes his tenure as PM, he now cannot progress onto the EU to continue being a politician there.
3) Admission tutors are suppose to be free from bias but then again you never know. If you're applying to do law at uni and in your personal statement, you write 'now with Brexit, there isn't any need to study EU law given that EU itself is a corrupt institution which hasn't been brought to task for various breaches of ethics and code of conduct regulations'. Imagine if the admissions tutor reading your PS is someone from the EU cluster of countries
4) Once you get familiar with how uni admissions operate, you will realize that very little importance is placed on personal statements and the referee reference. Cambridge released a report not too long ago that talked about how these two aspects of the UCAS application was susceptible to exaggerations and unfounded claims.
In order to get a place at uni, depending on your course and the unis you want to apply to, you need to have a good set of GCSEs and be getting top grades at A-levels. Having rubbish GCSEs and A-level grades but impressive referee reference and UCAS statement is not going to get you an offer.
There will be people here that tell you otherwise. If you're heading to uni it means that you must be able to think for yourself, evaluate different people's perspective and then come to a decision.
I wish you luck.