What a weekend. Not just the Rugby! I watched the game on Saturday afternoon with friends and marvelled at the transformation of England as they and Sheridan in particular put the Aussies away. We wandered home and I started some work when Tracy came in to tell me of a news flash on the radio and then the phone started ringing with people telling me about Brown’s announcement that there would not be an election.
Various thoughts. Interesting that it was the poll of marginal constituencies in the News of the World that is said to lead to Brown’s decision. I don’t often buy NoW but did so on Sunday. Their poll shows a six point Conservative lead and was held in the 49 most marginal constituencies notionally held by Labour and the 34 most marginal held Conservative constituencies. Whether you take Rallings & Thresher’s or UK Polling Report’s numbers this poll must have included Rugby. Good news. The threat of an election concentrates mind wonderfully (witness the Blackpool conference!) and it enabled us to put in place quickly many of the plans for fighting an election locally which would have usually taken much more time. Once it’s done it’s done and there will be far less preparation to do when the election finally takes place. That gives us more time to get out on the doorstep now and whenever it is called. When selected earlier this year, I always though that the election would be in May 2009, at the same time as the County Council elections, as happened in 2005, and we’re back working to that agenda. Finally, on a personal note, while I would have been very happy starting off our election campaign today, because we would have most definitely won, I’m pleased that the uncertainty of the past few weeks is at an end. Back to plan A.
Various thoughts. Interesting that it was the poll of marginal constituencies in the News of the World that is said to lead to Brown’s decision. I don’t often buy NoW but did so on Sunday. Their poll shows a six point Conservative lead and was held in the 49 most marginal constituencies notionally held by Labour and the 34 most marginal held Conservative constituencies. Whether you take Rallings & Thresher’s or UK Polling Report’s numbers this poll must have included Rugby. Good news. The threat of an election concentrates mind wonderfully (witness the Blackpool conference!) and it enabled us to put in place quickly many of the plans for fighting an election locally which would have usually taken much more time. Once it’s done it’s done and there will be far less preparation to do when the election finally takes place. That gives us more time to get out on the doorstep now and whenever it is called. When selected earlier this year, I always though that the election would be in May 2009, at the same time as the County Council elections, as happened in 2005, and we’re back working to that agenda. Finally, on a personal note, while I would have been very happy starting off our election campaign today, because we would have most definitely won, I’m pleased that the uncertainty of the past few weeks is at an end. Back to plan A.
