Rescue Pack!

Emily's new toy is a singing daglo orange plastic bag which belts out a samba tune. I do hope the batteries run out, but no signs of that yet.

Yesterday morning a big campaign group went out around the University to do some survey canvassing, and the views of people can be summed up in two words - transport and economy.

There was a lot of anger locally about the speeding traffic down some of the main roads (and the council response to this) but also the state of the roads and pavements. There are some atrocious cracks and holes that need urgent attention. However the grass verges are destroyed and the areas where 2 buses are forced to pass leave holes like a canoe run in the road where one bus has to mount the verge to get pass the other. Sadly, again, little seems to be done to solve these issues and residents feel that they are "on their own" - once again. They seemed genuinely pleased to be able to explain their issues to the Conservatives and there is a feeling that they have been let down.

However the overwhelming majority of people were very worried about their financial situation in the coming months and years. I met businessmen who were having to lay off staff, builders without work because of the slowdown of the housing market and a family who are being forced to cut down on buying food to make ends meet. And the blame for this was all laid squarely at the feet of the Prime Minister (interestingly not the Chancellor - most people think this all has its legacy in Brown's days at the treasury).

Overall a lot of people were very disengaged with the whole political process. They felt very much the choice was between the Conservatives and Labour; we didn't find a single open LibDem voter in a ward they used to hold with a sizeable majority. People are moving away from Clarke and Labour but haven't yet found their way to the Conservatives in this part of Norwich. It's our job to give them a reason to do so.

Today I am speaking at a public meeting at the Greenstock Festival at Heigham Park; I do hope that despite the weather you make it!

LibDem faux outrage at UEA votes issue

I think that it is crazy that the UEA has nowhere on campus for the voters of that polling district to vote on 3rd May. However, given the reaction of the LibDems you might believe that this was the greatest attack on democracy for a generation.

Hardly.

We should encourage people to vote but we cannot hold their hand whilst they do it. It must be easy to vote but people must also want to do it.

I live around 6 minutes walk from my polling station.

When I lived in Mardle Street, Bowthorpe, I lived a good 15 minutes walk from my polling station.

In Norwich, as in Norfolk and around the country, you have to make an effort to vote.

If students want to vote they will walk, cycle or even drive to the schoiol next to UEA to do it. If they care about voting they will make the effort and give up the few extra minutes to cast their votes. Maybe they will be so angry by this decision turnout may even rise?

If they say that they won't vote because there isn't a polling station under their noses then that is in itself contempt for democracy and on that principle vast swathes of the country, and the City, would never vote.

And, of course, there is still time for a postal vote to be arranged.

So how do we explain the LibDem outrage? Pure politics. They believe their only hope of not being totally humiliated in this ward is the student vote. They care about their campaign, not about democracy.

However, given the fact that the UEA LibDems have almost ceased to function and that the Conservatives are now by far the biggest party on campus, I wouldn't be too sure that student votes will save them.

So be assured, LibDems. Democracy carries on. At least University Tory candidate Niall Baxter (pictured) has remained calm throughout this "crisis".