Following on from Adam's post below, some news from the Crewe campaign trail...

I'm here trying to get a feel for the constituency, and any indication that the bookies are right.

Truth be told, it seems the Tories have fought an intense campaign. They've had people on the ground for weeks and the air of confidence they exude is not misplaced.

Labour are stilling rolling out the big guns - today the Health Secretary showing face, and appearing bullish in the face of some troubling pre-election polling.

And Tamsin Dunwoody, the daughter of Gwyneth, told me a vote for her would secure an MP in her mother's mould.

Not sure about that. Frankly I'd say most people I spoke to were more concerned about Labour's record nationally than voting for the qualities they saw in their previous MP.

The surprise for me was the confidence of the Lib Dems. They feel that there's been a real move to their candidate in the past couple of days, and insist they'll be challenging the Tories for the seat.

Well, we'll see. I'm here till Friday and already have the caffeine shakes... Which does not bode well for election night itself.

Comments

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 23 May 2008 09:53:09]

E Welshman and Patricia
It's champagne and Bread of Heaven here in Cape Town.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 May 2008 13:37:01]

Patricia
The Welsh have a good sense of humour and love to sing, and rugby is the second religion next to the chapel.
Being sentimental will never be a crime.

[Patricia 22 May 2008 13:01:27]

E. Welshman and Elizabeth;
There is nothing more beautiful or guaranteed to bring a tear to my eye than the sound of a Welsh Male Voice choir.
I remember an occasion however, when I was serving at BMH Tidworth with a couple of Welsh girls. We were all being posted to different parts of the world and decided to have a small party which resulted in us getting a bit 'tiddly' to say the least. Suddenly the two girls(both huge Rugby fans) burst into a rendition of Men of Harlech, but this version was all about Uncle Fred and Auntie Mabel and included a 'breakfast table'; it was all very naughty and irreverent and I admit that the tears flowed for a different reason. Now,44 years on, when I hear that song I remember those two girls, young and full of life and wonder how well the years have treated them.
I know, off topic and too sentimental, but you shouldn't have mentioned Welsh choirs!!

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 May 2008 11:06:36]

E Welshman
Hopefully we can sing "Bread of Heaven" tomorrow if Labour lose the Crewe and Nantwich bye-election. Surely that will help to send the removal van to No 10.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 21 May 2008 17:47:45]

E WElshman
A man after my own heart!

[E Welshman 21 May 2008 17:30:14]

Especially when it is sung in Welsh.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 21 May 2008 17:00:19]

Madnurse
When it is sung in the Chapel it is like God is in the room.

[Madnurse 21 May 2008 16:07:33]

E. Welshman:

I have looked at the song and think it is beautiful, it should be read by every MP and all those thinking about going into politics as a guide and a moral compass. In fact it could be a great guide for us all.

Calon Lân.

I ask not for ease and riches
Nor earth's jewels for my part
But I have the best of wishes
For a pure and honest heart.

Chorus
Oh, pure heart so true and tender
Fairer than the lilies white
The pure heart alone can render
Songs of joy both day and night.

Should I cherish earthly treasure
It would fly on speedy wings
The pure heart a plenteous measure
Of true pleasure daily brings.

Eve and morn my prayers ascending
To God's heaven on wings of song
Seek the joy that knows no ending
The pure heart that knows no wrong.

[E Welshman 21 May 2008 15:49:57]

Madnurse,

Your apology is accepted. I didn't think for a moment that you meant to compare Welsh sport with the LibDems. The Welsh rugby team are winners.

But if you want to serve a penance, just look sometime at the words of my favourite Welsh folk song Calon Lân.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 21 May 2008 11:45:42]

Robert, Scotland
The rest of Britain should be so lucky!

[Robert, Scotland 21 May 2008 11:24:14]

Elizabeth Davies
No. We have just ousted (we will look after you from cradle to grave) Labour, in this Country. We are now in the state that Nelson Mandela put so eloquently; Freedom.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 21 May 2008 11:05:09]

Trevor
Gordon Brown will also need to get his hands on the "good stuff" for Friday.

[Bruce Hulmes 21 May 2008 10:51:08]

John (Northumberland)A good post but why bother some of us in the past have attempted to explain Labours fiscal policy but Labourites  will never admit their party is just a shell into which those with great ambition but very little ability crawl into.
A large number of whom depend on family connections or patronage all from a political party that espouses  the founding of a meritocracy society.

[Trevor 21 May 2008 10:37:45]

Elizabeth Davies says :
"Niall - Get on the good stuff my man...Scotch."
------------------------------

Now THERE'S a lady who talks sense !

[Liz, Suffolk 21 May 2008 10:19:48]

The only time we see anything resembling an MP is when they want something from us (our vote). I think they're all as bad as each other in that respect.

Once Labour has been shown the door in Crewe and Nantwich, DC will have to work hard to prove that he is a worthy contender for PM.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 21 May 2008 10:16:32]

Robert, Scotland
Economics was not Gordon Brown's strong point. Being PM is also not his forte.
Don't you want him back up North?

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 21 May 2008 09:53:09]

Morning Mail
I am not a football fan, Rugby and cricket for me.
But I heard Cardiff put up a great fight against Portsmouth, but the better team won on the day, Cardiff have nothing to be ashamed of losing one match in the FA Cup is pretty good.
If I keep you amused at this time in your party's history then I am serving a purpose here, as Labour are having a pretty torrid time especially with Gordon Brown at it's helm, anything to cheer you up my friend!

[John (Northumberland) 21 May 2008 09:49:58]

Robert Scotland

You make a sound argument. And may well be right.

But here's another possibility. Gordon was so desperate to prove that after the fiasco's of the 60's & 70's, Labour could be trusted with the nations finances. Inheriting as you say a solid platform domestically and globally, he followed Ken Clarke's spending plans for over 3 years.

Then we had the Dot Com crash. To avoid the inevitable recession, he followed Greenspan's model of increased liquidity. So he increased public spending and his shift to the Chindia assisted CPI created sustained low inflation/low interest rates - ie he created a turbo charged GO.

But believing his and his cronies hype, neglected to apply the brakes. The housing market became the bubble top replace the Dot Com bubble. And people believing Gordon, borrowed big - speculating that house prices would go on rising forever. And borrowed big against their increased equity. And just borrowed big in general.

With this Gordon won the 2005 election and he thought his dream of PM. Tony wouldn't go so had to be disposed of.

In short, Gordon used about 1 trillion of OUR money to buy
his dream job.

The country's finances are in really bad shape. Taxes are at an all time high.
How do we pay for Gordon's stupidity in a downturn?

[Victor, NW Kent 21 May 2008 09:48:01]

Robert

Good thinking.

My own personal thoughts about the future of Britain turn towards resurrecting the dependant under-class that Labour's welfare policies has created. We are now seeing families where nobody has worked, ever and for perhaps 3 generations.

I doubt if any Labour polly has any real idea of how completely devoid of hope and stimulation their lives are. Perhaps few politicians of any party understand although Iain Duncan-Smith seems to have identified it. This is millions of people, millions with wasted lives. Naturally they vote Labour as that is who fills the rice bowl. They are mostly insufficiently educated to understand that they are being institutionalised.

Donald Tusk, Poland's new President said recently that the wealth of his country is the People. Poles are hard-working, mostly religious, really well-educated. They do not regard any section of their populace as scrap although their country has been disadvantaged for centuries by oppression.

Until we decide to educate our children properly and limit long-term benefits except for the truly disabled we can make no progess as a nation.

I was born in a mythical and lost-lost country, not Atlantis, not Lyonesse but Great Britain. I want it back.

[Madnurse 21 May 2008 09:15:09]

E Welshman:

Please accept my sincerest apologies for suggesting the Welsh football team were akin to the LibDems. I love Wales and many years ago, came close to moving there.
Wales has had some sporting success recently, I would moot however that, the Cardiff City Football Team was not full of Welsh players, well at least so my husband tells me, to be honest I haven't a clue.
As a penance for accidently upsetting the Welsh, I am going to make some Leek and Potato Soup for lunch and whilst eating it, I shall reflect on my short comings in this matter.

One thing that did intrigue me about the FA cup final was this; Wales sung "Land of my fathers" and the English sung "God save the queen" surely England should have had "Land of hope and glory" sung and then BOTH nations should have sung "God save the queen." Any thoughts?

Kindest Regards.

[Robert, Scotland 21 May 2008 08:35:53]

The Voters of Crewe & Nantwich should consider national issues when voting on Thursday, they are electing an MP to Westminster not a local councillor. They could give the signal to a much needed change of direction from Government.
This Country has not got to the sorry state it is in to-day because of a downturn in the World economy. These World downturns have always happened from time to time. That is why anyone entrusted with steering this Country,s economy should have built in provision for it.
Gordon Brown believed before he became Chancellor of the Exchequer that he could model the Country's finances such that "boom & bust" would forever be eliminated and that this model would succeed in isolation of World market forces. Any delusion has a fault line, never apparent to the afflicted. Gordon inherited a healthy British economy favoured by an equally healthy World economy, the scene was perfect to his dream and he deluded he alone could keep it this way.
Gordon knew his plan would meet resistance from those with experience of the workplace and the markets, so he surrounded himself with those not contaminated with this exposure. Enter the Stepford Children; "so what" Balls, Ed & David Miliband, Yvette Cooper, Douglas Alexander and James Parnell, like him born to politics and having no serious exposure to the workplace, the stuff of elitism.
Actions Gordon took in line with his delusion no more "boom & bust" were all calculated slow burners, nothing that would cause an immediate outcry;
. Sell off the Country,s gold reserves, gold rises in value in times of "bust", so not needed.
. Create dependency Britain, buy the votes to ensure continuance in office, include perks to Civil Servants, do not worry about cost or inequality.
. Do away with tax credits for pension funds, people do not need big pensions in times of continuous "boom".
. Re-order the measurement of the "cost of living" make it more favourable by ignoring domestic market influences. The World market is ignored until it suits the manipulation of figures.
. Spend all the money collected in taxes and whenever it runs out, borrow. No need to maintain a reserve for a "bust" that will never happen.
We all shared in Gordon's dream but the dot com "bust" of 2000 awakened us from it. Pension funds plummeted and the realisation of a £5 billion annual tax raid on pension funds dawned on us.
This is when Gordon's delusion became apparent he ignored this warning of the un-predictability of the market place and persisted with his flawed model. So, change will not come with Gordon, it is in the hands of the Voters, starting this Thursday.

[Khalid 21 May 2008 00:02:42]

Niall
Not that my vote counts for any thing [Sister Sledge] does, but just becase the policy is [We Are Family] surely its not in the best interest of what is good for Wales is it? Ask me it sounds a bit woooly.

[E Welshman 20 May 2008 22:58:17]

Madnurse,

I like reading your your blogs but crikey, what have the Welsh football team done to you to cause you to compare them with the LibDems?

How did the Welsh rugby team, Swansea City and Cardiff City do recently ?

[E Welshman 20 May 2008 22:54:00]

Have a look at Guido 10.00pm 20/5/08.

How does 'one of us' look now ?

[Dave, Wirral 20 May 2008 22:42:03]

Yet more hypocrisy uncovered curtesy of Guido.

"Tamsin Dunwoody - One of us"

Yeh, a "Toff", it would seem.

Yet Mr Timpsons name appears absent from the 'Burkes Landed Gentry' list, could it be that's because he isn't and that dearest Tamsin and the Labour spin machine has been caught out once too often.

Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones it would seem.

[Morning Mail 20 May 2008 19:38:36]

Madnurse
The Conservatives are comimg into their own I believe. The Lib Dems are ...well pretty useless, a wasted vote on their party, no more Huw Gaitskill I'm afraid!
Hopefully Welsh football is not that bad, Cardiff made it to the FA Cup at the week end.

Posted by: Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 20 May 2008 17:40:10

Cardiff lost to Portsmouth Liz. I hope you keep posting on here your blogs keep me amused for hours.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 20 May 2008 17:40:10]

Madnurse
The Conservatives are comimg into their own I believe. The Lib Dems are ...well pretty useless, a wasted vote on their party, no more Huw Gaitskill I'm afraid!
Hopefully Welsh football is not that bad, Cardiff made it to the FA Cup at the week end.

[Madnurse 20 May 2008 17:11:34]

I feel it is likely that Labour will get hammered on Thursday.
I wonder though, if this is the case, is it an endorsement for my Conservative party and our leader, or more a rejection of Labour and Mr Brown.

Are we doing well in the polls because we have got our act together, or is Labour just weak and washed out and frankly could be beaten by the Moster Raving Looney Party if they were the only other party standing? I wish I knew the answer.

Is there any point to the LibDems as they are neither Liberal nor Democratic, do they just split the other parties vote? Would the LibDems just freeze or wet their pants if they did actually ever win power? Are they the political equivelent to the Welsh football team, namely only there to make up the numbers?

[Bruce Hulmes 20 May 2008 17:01:36]

Tamsin Dunwoody says a vote for her would secure an MP in her mothers mould, does she mean further nepotisam.
We have a party which disliked hereditary peers, but finds hereditary MPs with safe pass me down seats something to be proud off, hypocrocy do they have no shame or do they work on the principal that most of the population are to stupid to know whats is going on, ask the Benns.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 20 May 2008 16:56:15]

Niall
Get on the good stuff my man...Scotch.
If Tamsin thinks she will take this seat on her Mother's legacy she is a bigger fool than Brown himself.
Let's get back to what the bookies are saying, on Friday this week there is going to be a challenge to Gordon Brown as Labour leader if Labour lose this seat to the Conservatives, I bet my 1920 Champagne on it.LOL

[T. England 20 May 2008 16:55:01]

Are we to believe that MPs turning up in your street & posting leaflets, chatting to the public & generally letting their presence be known is doing any of the parties any good? I’d love to know what sort of person is swayed by any of the above! I wonder how they would deal with meeting candidates from all three parties! Go with the last they met I’d imagine!

Isn’t this nothing more than MPs acting like minor celebs & hoping they will be seen in a good light? I could have the whole Labour cabinet turn up on my front lawn & sing for me but they’d still not get my vote! Why do I get the impression this is nothing more than a point scoring game for the MPs!
I would imagine though this is a great time for the reporters & TV bods to get some good out takes & miss quotes with access to so many ego tripping wanabe a star MPs!

[neither/niether 20 May 2008 16:40:18]

So they should be, although waste of a vote, but im sure many voters will use them rather than vote tory. They won't be voting labour this time round. Hope the Tories DO WIN..

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 20 May 2008 16:36:53]

Niall,
Stay away from caffeine, and quickly return to your normal beverage! You know, the one you use for face to face networking!