After 2 hours number taking, I can report a brisk trade in the Blackheath Westcombe ward. Turnout is about 10% after 3 hours – pretty good I’d say. My favourite moment was a 16 year old kid taking me to task as the Labour representative;[…]

Stadiums shared by two football teams have been seen as problematic for many reasons; one of the major objections is the difficulty in making a joint stadium feel like home for two groups of people. In order that the ground doesn’t offend half […]

‘I wish there was an Upper Crust here’
Edinburgh Aiport yesterday, on discovering that there was bugger all food to be had for breakfast in the departure lounge.
* ooh look – it’s another Freaky Trigger series that I’ll […]

New Brazilian 17-year old wizard Kerlon has invented* a new trick. He balances the ball on his head and runs with it. Any attempt to kick it off will be dangerous play, seeing how you’re aiming to kick him around the head. A shoulder charge wou[…]

I was doing a piece on the 2001 election in a similar vein to the one I did on 1992, which has turned from a post into an essay.
* Probably John Major’s best set-piece gag, when he said to Neil Kinnock “‘He draweth out the thread of[…]

The 2001 Election by Dave Boyle
I was on pins for the 2001 election. For most of the country, it seemed a foregone conclusion, but the marginal I was working in, we didn’t have a clue. We knew that ultimately, the ability to form a government w[…]

On Saturday April 10th 1992, The Guardian published a results special. It had a full page Steve Bell cartoon that remains the most powerful piece of cartoonery I’ve ever seen. I’m no big fan, and get slightly annoyed by the Bell-love if t[…]

They Work For You is a great site – a much quicker search facility of the Parliament site, all the info from the latter is there at the former, available as RSS with email alerts when particular subjects are raised, or when individuals speak.
[…]

What if she dies before polling day? Would a Thatcher factor benefit the Tories?
In 2001, I worked in a constituency where the Tories were strongly tipped. People reported that the visit of Thatcher was pivotal. Unmotivated activists were reminded t[…]

1992 was when I lost my political virginity. I can remember little of the 87 campaign, save for the post-poll Spitting Image. The lack of any discernible tension was exemplified by the finale to that show, a rendition of ‘Tomorrow belongs to me[…]