The big night

Well that's it, the deed is done. I have exercised my democratic right once again, and a night of speculation, statistical dissection, comment and swingometers is in store. It's been a funny one this time. Although the polls seem to be pretty similar, with a largely unspoken assumption that Labour will get in for another term, there's a noticeable absence of any mention of assured victory in the papers or elsewhere for that matter. There's a feeling of the election being pretty much up in the air still, and I've got to say, in stark contrast to the 2001 election, this makes for a potentially exciting result in prospect. Whether the reality will meet the expection is quite another matter, but for now, things are looking good for a night in front of the box.

I actually saw a chap with a large blue rosette in Wimbledon village on the way back home from work. It's the first real campaigner I've seen, excluding someone handing out leaflets for the independent candidate standing at the train station last week. The blue-rosetted man may have actually been the Conservative candidate for the constituency, and as such might be in with a look-in for the local seat. I was tempted to go up to him and bolster his spirits, as he was looking rather lost, studying a piece of paper with what I assume were the addresses of should-be Conservative households. However then I realised that I would have to own up to having no intention of voting for him, and I didn't want to spoil his afternoon, assuming someone hadn't done so already.

However if I had spoken to the possibly-local-Conservative-candidate-man, I expect I would have said something along the following lines: "Hello there! How's the last minute canvassing going?....all the best for this evening....no, I won't actually be voting for you, but then the chap I've voting for isn't likely to get in, and if you do oust the Labour guy and reduce their majority it'll be no bad thing." Good intentions, but sounding a touch insincere, so probably just as well I gave it a miss.