Monday 2 May
The death of Anthony Wakefield is announced.
A sombre mood amongst the many 100 canvassers and helpers who come into the HQ throughout the day. Bruce Kent pays a visit, makes a rousing speech against all war, goes out on the doorsteps.
Response is almost always overwhelmingly positive but the can't-say/won't-says still form almost as much of a block as the pro-Blair and pro-Keys intentions, and therein lies the result.
I do an interview with French radio and can't remember the word for sink estates...not that I ever knew it as they didn't exist when I learnt my French in the days when slums had been cleared and housing estates were heaven on earth. Also can't remember quite a lot of other words for things which actually did exist in those day, to be honest.
I seem to have caught a cold from somewhere/someone. Will be grateful if that's the only physical price I have to pay for this stressful, sleepless few weeks.
Stay in the office till after 9pm. I leave Clive still there. Sheet lightening and torrential rain - Chris sweetly leaves messages to ring him on the drive home if I need to as he's worried about me being so tired; I'd love to but my battery is flat...
Blair is under obvious personal stress in another question session on ITV.