Wed 13 April
Day 7, and week since we were up and running.
The Blair Challenge. We go to Myrobella, the Blair constituency office and
'home' in Trimdon Colliery. No photographers it seems - but then we find
them, waiting in the right place, all the agencies and the regional print
media; unlike us they know where to go.
Reg is invited in to talk to John Burton, Blair's agent. He's in there so
long we begin to take bets on what has happened to him...has he been turned?
Has he been promised the defence portfolio in the next Blair govt? 'It's a
Reg/Lab pact' says someone...but no, when he comes out he's as strong as
ever. It's been cathartic, he says, being able to outline his case so
clearly to someone who obviously hasn't heard all the arguments before.
Burton at times seemed so surprised that his cherished beliefs in the
legality of the war, the international support, the legitimacy of the
Attorney General's Advice etc were ill-founded that we imagined him later
ringing his boss and saying 'Err, Tony, about that war....'
Back at HQ I notice that the canvassing room has filled up not only with
leaflets and posters but masses of A4 maps, each with tiny quarters of
post-it notes stuck all over them with squiggles on. It's a mystery to me,
but I think I've worked it out - a canvasser is given some stickers relating
to streets, ticks them off when done and sticks them back on the master map
so the same streets aren't done again...
A guy from one of the broadsheet Sundays is on the train to Darlington -
arrange for him to meet Reg in a pub in Sedgefield and come out with us
tomorrow...so many journos ring me from Japan and Canada that I sadly can't
remember what I've said to each them but it doesn't matter, as they'll ring
when they get here. Reg does a Mail interview on the phone, The Times guy is
coming up tomorrow (or is it the next day?) The BBC fly-on-the-wall crew is
really living up to its name - the tall one has started leaning against the
wall almost invisibly, and we really are beginning to ignore them...in fact
they all lean against the wall; it's obviously part of their skill to become
almost invisible after a while...meanwhile, a Japanese journalist comes and
goes.
press officer, which is rather sweet - and they can go to press tomorrow for
the launch next week. And somewhere amongst all this a really cool guy calls
in after canvassing all day and writes a note about how to avoid fierce
dogs. He goes off promising to bring a hoover and a fast printer tomorrow,
and to write a load of letters for me. This is what I call helpful. There
have been other volunteers but I haven't really seen them. However, more
will be gratefully received.
- ©Reg Keys, 2005 -
