Tweets on 2010-05-08

  • What's that strange feeling in the pit of my stomach? Oh. Hunger. Gawd, I've no excuse now, it's back on the diet. #
  • @agnt_orange James Delingpole *shudder* in reply to agnt_orange #
  • Carswell and Hannan are actually quite pretty, aren't they? (until they start to talk, thobut) #
  • My mouse hand is absolutely killing me 😦 #
  • Why are all these people looking at me like that? Ah. Was I muttering under my breath again? #
  • Of course the real tragedy yesterday was that it cost an entire month's take home pay to get my car serviced. 😦 #
  • Firming up my intention to take a tent to Wales this weekend. Backing off the assumption I'm ever coming back. #
  • Hooray, @libdemvoice is back. It's not usually the case that when @artesea goes to sleep, all his websites go to sleep as well 🙂 #
  • Yay! This week's weigh-in is… Not too bad. Let's go check out the reduced cake! #
  • Interesting point from @stephentall and @marthakearney: "Kingmaker" is a strange phrase to use for the pickle Nick Clegg is in now. #
  • @miketd but she's ANGRY! We can't all vote in castles 🙂 in reply to miketd #
  • @miketd PS might not be the castle next time… it's the last non-accessible polling station in the city… in reply to miketd #
  • @miketd ha! in reply to miketd #

  • Was literally going up to pc thinking "what almond based cake shall I make" when @miketd said "Macaroons" http://flic.kr/p/7Znjsx #

  • Tonight's sourdough bloomer looks ace. Really healthy oven spring for once. http://flic.kr/p/7ZqUbN #
  • @jamesgraham do fixed term parliaments totally preclude calling an early one? in reply to jamesgraham #
  • @rfenwick how bored are you that you're thumbing through the federal constitution of the Liberal Democrats? 🙂 #
  • Our cats seem to prefer being outside in the rain to having to deal with toddlers 🙂 #

Powered by Twitter Tools

What should the party do next? Have your say by 2pm on Saturday

This post appeared on http://www.libdemvoice.org earlier today. We seem to be suffering a little technical difficulties, so I am reposting it here to help it get out to a wider audience, given the constraints of time. Please do not reply here – please send your message to the email address given. Do, please, pass this info on to the people who are contacting you, particularly party members who will want to have their say.

On Saturday afternoon the party’s Federal Executive is meeting to discuss how the party should handle the Parliamentary situation. There’s no pre-set, universally supported answer to this so the FE’s discussion is going to be meaningful and important – which means that if you want to influence what the party does, now is the time to let the FE know.

Because many members of the Federal Executive are scattered around the country – sleeping, travelling back from election counts, making their way to London and so on – the FE members may be hard to get hold of and many will not necessarily be checking their emails frequently.

Therefore, in order to ensure that people have a chance to send in a view that will be read before the meeting, we’ve agreed with the Party President Ros Scott a special email address – balancedparliament@libdemvoice.org which can be used to email in your views. A member of staff will collate all the messages and make sure that they are drawn to the attention of Ross and also reported to the members of the FE in time for their discussion.

A few tips when emailing this address:
– Given the pressures of time, short and concise messages are likely to be more effective than 12 pages essays
– As with letter writing or lobbying more generally, saying in full who you are and where you’re from is likely to add to the impact of the message
– Please send your message as soon as possible

Tweets on 2010-05-07

  • @sarabedford you appear to be typing polling numbers into twitter, not into EARS! #
  • @milleniumdome @alexwilcock I'm always a little freaked EARS refers to "Undecideds" as UNDed. #
  • It was cute when the cat dragged toys under my desk to play with them. Much less so when he does it with chicken bones. #
  • Just seen that photo of Farrage – he was wearing a rosette in the plane! #
  • Ctte Room tv seems to be playing highly appropriate election-based Blackadder episode. #

  • I don't get to go to Nottingham castle, for me, I'm telling at a portakabin outside the prison. http://flic.kr/p/7Z6ozn #
  • Cor, there's a queue outside the polling station. Longer queue in chippy thobut. #
  • Three people have asked now if a tick is ok. A cross is preferable but I'm sure a tick will do. #
  • Should've worn gloves. IN MAY!?! #
  • RT @ReadingAS: two very bright passes of the #ISS this evening, 21:25 and 23:01 – http://bit.ly/bY71KY – too many clouds here #
  • Husband and wife: him "who did you vote for?" / "Conservative." / "I don't know you at all!" #
  • Packing my bags for the beeb. iPod. Phone. Chargers. Paracetamol. Caffeine. Antacids. Briefings. Spreadsheets. Manifesto. Thermal socks. #
  • Best of luck to all candidates tonight. Don't lose it at the count! And keep an eye on @libdemvoice 's night desk coverage. #
  • @helenduffett @earthcalling thanks! #
  • All through today people have assumed I'm being paid for Bbc gig. They're feeding me, and that's it! #
  • @qwghlm I hope you mean seats, not votes! in reply to qwghlm #
  • @lordbonkers I won't tell you what I misread perennials as, but it certainly caused a doubletake. in reply to lordbonkers #
  • @enitharmon surely not?! in reply to enitharmon #

  • RT @artesea: Election night set up http://flic.kr/p/7ZbUF1<< aww #
  • Rats! Wifi worked in the green room and not in the studio. Will have to make up my own jokes if I can't get on Twitter! #
  • Dearie me, folks, I need *broadcastable* jokes. #
  • Nottingham Evening Post liveblog of election results: http://bit.ly/dh9kRF #
  • @dr_nick some people queued for 3 hours! in reply to dr_nick #
  • CAn't believe we cut away from Durham for Gordon! We know who'll win his seat! #
  • Ken Clarke wins Rushcliffe. No surprise there – but the Lib Dems have claimed 2nd place. Hopefully good news for next year's council battle #
  • Vernon Coker holds Gedling – the Tories will not be happy. And with the LD vote nearly doubling #
  • Rats. The Lib Dem vote in Gedling did not nearly double. I copied the wrong number into my book. NEed caffeine, folks! #
  • Recount in Ashfield! JAson Zadrozny FTW #
  • Recount at Broxtowe too. #
  • @NCCLols they're not allowed to say who between! in reply to NCCLols #
  • @ncclols at least it wasn't geldling! #
  • Erk, Lembit, nooo! #
  • We're about to hear from Nottingham North then popping over to Ashfield, where recount is "unofficial" #
  • "Word on the street – recount in Ashfield – there's 1,000 votes in it." RO declaring FULL RECOUNT. #
  • Eastbourne! Ray of sunshine. #
  • Distracted by guy at Witney count dressed as Jesus Christ. #
  • Jane Todd, get your act together! As returning officer, she nearly forgot to declare someone elected. #
  • @ncclols no, she forgot Lilian Greenwood. She read out all the numbers, but not "I declare X elected" #
  • Holding @joswinson's seat. Oh, thank goodness. #
  • Lillian Greenwood first woman to represent Nottingham City. That's pretty shameful in this day and age. #
  • By which I do mean, begruding congrats to Lillian Greenwood, all the best. #
  • Here comes Nottingham East… #
  • Come on Jane Todd, get it right this time. #
  • Chris Leslie holds Nottingham East. And the Lib Dems hold onto second place. #
  • Results coming thick and fast – Newark now, Ashfield very shortly. #
  • BBC made me turn off my phone. There's gonna be sooo many messages when I turn it on again. #
  • Listening to victory speeches across Notts. I do really strongly prefer a gracious winner. Most have not disappointed. #
  • @MarkReckons on the front page of the BBC news page? in reply to MarkReckons #
  • Ashfield declaring now #
  • AShfield is major major upset – but have we done it? #
  • Have they got TV waiting? #
  • Dagnabit, Jason misses out by about 150. He's put on 11,000 votes since last time. #
  • Can't wait for aunty's computer to calculate the swing for that. #
  • Aunty says Jason Zadronzy scored a 17% swing in Ashfield, but not quite enough. Anyone score more? #
  • Jason scored a higher vote than some winning Labour MPs. #
  • RT @politicshomeuk: Ashdown: My advice to people is go home and get sleep http://polurl.com/61997 << I Wish! another hour on air. #
  • Oh, help us – are we going to have an East Midlands with no Lib Dem MPs at all? #
  • @Alexander_Ball congrats, your hard work paid off! in reply to Alexander_Ball #
  • Anyone know what's going on in Hampstead? #
  • BUcks? Brighton? Smaller parties? #
  • Slightly surprise Tory gain in Sherwood constituency, the last of the Notts seats to declare. #
  • Yay, Vince won Twickenham. Crumbs of comfort at this point. #
  • So that's the greens – woss goin' on in Buckinghamshire #
  • I'm having flashbacks to 1997 now. I was appalled the country let itself be deceived then too. #
  • Well. 6hrs on the radio went by in the blink of an eye. Not sure I dare go to bed. Dunno who'll be running country when I wake. #
  • @alexwilcock I'm sure he mentioned that on all his leaflets. in reply to alexwilcock #
  • Any news on Scriven? #
  • Our thoughts are with you @edfordham! Shine for us! in reply to edfordham #
  • Solihull? Bradford? Excellent! #
  • Solihull and Bradford – but such scary tiny majorities! Have we had Worcs West? #
  • @Alexander_Ball gah, even I resisted Tories=rain tweets! in reply to Alexander_Ball #
  • @ObiGrae can't think why you'd want to listen to 6 hrs, think you had to be there! in reply to ObiGrae #
  • We've gotta scotch all this talk of AV! #
  • @caronmlindsay Tessa in reply to caronmlindsay #
  • @antonvowl Iain Dale made predictions when the rest of us hadn't a clue. So, many of them were wrong. meh. #
  • @caronmlindsay ooh, Lorely and Lynne too, now that I think about it. in reply to caronmlindsay #
  • @iaindale I'll hold a towel at one end. in reply to iaindale #

Powered by Twitter Tools

So what awaits us tonight?

I’ve been relieved from my duties telling by the Late Nite Knockup Team, so I’ve had time to dash home and try and warm my hands back up from two hours in the gloaming outside Nottingham Prison.

As I might have mentioned, I’ve been booked to go and talk about election results on BBC Radio Nottingham from midnight til 6am, so I’m preparing myself mentally for that.

I’m not convinced it’s a good idea: I do tend to get weepy and morose once things come to an end. University shows always used to end in cast parties, when I didn’t necessarily behave. Past elections have left me tired and grumpy, and even when we win, I struggle to be nice to colleagues. And now they’re taking me when I’m at my weakest and putting me in front of a microphone.

Listen live here!

And what will I say? My experience is that turnout has been high and the competition has been fierce. There have been lots of young and new voters, but I’m not sure anyone knows which way they’ve been voting.

The exit poll is just reading out the results – 307 Con, 259 Lab and 59 LD. Exit polls are often wrong. Let’s hope for at least as many Lib Dem MPs as we had last time. Nottingham’s Prof Phil Cowley has just said he’s very sceptical and that exit polls are not good with the smaller parties.

And let’s not forget that a few months ago naysayers had the Lib Dems on under 40 seats.

(And that typing has not been enough to warm my hands up. Should I take gloves and thermal socks with me to the beeb?)

Tweets on 2010-05-06

Powered by Twitter Tools

One really nice thing that happened during the campaign

So, a few weeks ago, I got a couple of text messages from friends, fiancés and colleagues who had gone through Canning Circus on a bus and noticed a bedsheet with writing on it hung over a baclony.

So I went to take a picture myself.

Wow. Zoom in to read banner. They're facing a house with Tory posters.

It’s a little tricky to read, so here’s a closeup:

banner-clip.

I think the banner was there in response to a house over the way that had gone a little bit mad with Tory correx boards that dotted all over their house and wall.

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to leave a proper Lib Dem correx board in our usual dayglo orange, so I tried to get in. They’re in a really nice converted cigar factory, and the blank plate of doorbells didn’t give you much of a clue which flat was where in the building.

So, I’m afraid, I rang bells at random. I hate doing that. I don’t like trying to get into flats even to deliver leaflets – because frankly, if you ring people’s bells at random and say, “Hi, I’m here to deliver leaflets” – and someone lets you in – why bother having buzzers and locks at all?

So I spoke to about 6 people before finally getting the flat who said they were the ones with the terrace and the banner, and they buzzed me in. When I walked closer to their inside front door, if you see what I mean, I was met in the corridor by a man who explained that it was not his terrace, but his neighbours, and he pointed out the right door, and then closed his own door.

I knocked the right door, but no response. Which left me standing in a locked corridor with a Lib Dem board but no pen and paper. I couldn’t go back to the car to get something to write with because the door would close behind me, and I didn’t want to try my luck at getting through the buzzer maze twice.

So I just left the board balanced against the front door, hoping whoever’s door it was wouldn’t find it too freaky the board had just turned up.

When I got home, I could cross reference the full address with the electoral register, and write to the people who really lived there, so I popped a letter in the post thanking them for their banner, urging them to use the stakeboard to augment it, and asking them to let us have it back when the election is done. (I’m a skinflint. But those boards are £15 each, and can only be bought in packs of 10. Nottingham Lib Dems only own 2, which the central party kindly gave us as part of the Green Tax Switch campaign)

Imagine my delight, when, a few days later, I get tagged in the same letter on Facebook. I was half expecting it – by and large the people who live in flats like that are definitely part of the digital revolution. What I wasn’t quite expecting was that the people who lived in the flat were friends of a new member in a completely different part of town who we recruited a few weeks ago. Small world.

If you’re my friend on facebook, you might be able to see it at this link. Not very sure how privacy settings work.

Once I’d been tagged in the photo, I commented on it, letting my social networking mugshot show up on the facebook page.

But if that wasn’t cool enough, the next stage in the story is that I was out canvassing this week, and someone who’d read the letter on Facebook recognised me on the doorstep. Small world indeed!

Tweets on 2010-05-05

  • Vintage terracotta garden pots for sale! http://bit.ly/aveqkm #
  • @NCCLols was knocking doors with him in the Bagnall Road area last week. He works shifts and sometimes is hard to reach. in reply to NCCLols #
  • @TomatthePost congrats 🙂 Tell them about your county election coverage by twitter, it was ace. in reply to TomatthePost #
  • Disgraceful. @markpark has been abusing his position of responsibility to get socks. http://ldv.org.uk/19269 #
  • Bugger. That was bad planning. My car will be in for service / MOT on… Thursday. Hmmm. #
  • An amazing night of canvassing today including someone who recognised me from Facebook. Small world. #
  • @EvanHD Charles Kennedy (1983) ? in reply to EvanHD #
  • Tea or beer? http://twtpoll.com/5of7dz #twtpoll #
  • @stephmog @rfenwick to me it just suggested DUNFERMLINE meant +10 LAB and BUM meant +10 TOA (?!) … and then fed back what my profile says #
  • RT @neilgall Still bamboozled by the #Tories polling 35-37%. Who are these alleged voters? They're not on Twitter. << hope that's ironic! #
  • I'm going to get into my dressing gown, make a pot of tea, and try and type up all that canvass data before stupid o'clock. #
  • So, I suppose, the answer to tea or beer was tea AND beer. #
  • Good lord. Headmaster at elite sixth form says "…I kind of respect…" What do they teach these days? http://bit.ly/8Zc0hd @lordbonkers #
  • @markreckons they did that on the Vote Now show last week. #
  • @willhowells yeah, keep picturing, and it will DEFINITELY happen in reply to willhowells #

  • Kitten not helping with data input as much as you'd expect. http://flic.kr/p/7YF1DM #
  • @johniveyeagles thanks! in reply to johniveyeagles #
  • Love it that people are turning up at Clegg rallies with homemade signs. "I choose you, Nick-achu!" http://bit.ly/aDnyjT #
  • Merlene Emerson on You & Yours talking about about Thames Water's proposed super sewer. #
  • The Conservatives will come first for the homeless, the dispossessed, the ill, the vulnerable, the young – http://bit.ly/cNcTZC #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Tweets on 2010-05-03

Powered by Twitter Tools

Tweets on 2010-05-02

  • Playing "Typo or neologism?" with LDV. #
  • @Hookbell "Wikepedia" duckie, or "Wikipedia"? 🙂 in reply to Hookbell #
  • @Alexander_Ball strange isn't it – you'd think the extra activity would have a net benefit on waistlines, but that doesn't seem to work. in reply to Alexander_Ball #
  • Last minute Tory smears are disgraceful. #
  • @Alexander_Ball ooh, beer, there's an idea. in reply to Alexander_Ball #
  • Oh dear. We'd been doing relatively OK for weather this April, but this May, there's a Severe Weather warning for heavy rain. #
  • @caronmlindsay eating too fast? 🙂 in reply to caronmlindsay #
  • Fascinated by someone on a forum saying a) Lib Dem nuclear policy not sufficiently thought through b) we can fire nuclear waste at the Sun! #
  • Intrigued to get a leaflet from the Christian Party on a Sunday morning. Isn't there somewhere else they're supposed to be today? #
  • @A_C_McGregor yes indeed in reply to A_C_McGregor #
  • Some high profile Tory candidates still seem to think you can "pray away the gay" http://bit.ly/cudetN #
  • Another newspaper comes out for the Liberal Democrats: http://bit.ly/ajcRsK #
  • Right, setting off to corral Lib Dems into an audience for the East Mids Politics show later this morning. #
  • Well, we're all in the green room getting tanked up on caffeine. Almost everyone we lined up is here. #
  • Ooh. Phones off now. #
  • Ha. Our ukip guy doesn't know his party's manifesto either. Has anyone apart from journalsts read it? #

  • Going home to watch on iPlayer! http://flic.kr/p/7XRQ7T #

Powered by Twitter Tools