Over at the Daily Mail, Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable takes a look at the hard reality of being a politician during a gruelling election campaign. Here’s an excerpt:
Mostly elections are a punishing schedule of interviews, meetings, encounters with voters and lots of travel. I am often asked if I enjoy it. It seems ungracious to say no but enjoy is not the word I would choose. Perhaps there is a parallel with extreme sports, the same combination of adrenaline and the knowledge that disaster is potentially just seconds away.
Vince then gives us an insight into his last week’s campaign trail activities:
Wednesday is an upward change of gear: two big speeches in London and a trip to Cornwall. After standing in front of 2,000 business directors in a packed Royal Albert Hall I have to dash off to Gatwick. An hour later I am in a Cornish resort to support our candidate in South East Cornwall. Reports are coming in of Gordon’s Gaffe. I suspect the crucial economic debate may be lost in the blizzard.
But then I talk to our candidate in Plymouth: she is an impressive surgeon who reminds us that there are still fine people that see politics as public service. Back in London, I end my day speaking to a packed audience assembled by Operation Black Vote in Methodist Central Hall. News reaches me that previous speakers – Harriet Harman and George Osborne – have been booed.
And as for the final week of the campaign – it:
… seems to cover every corner of Britain and requires a Tardis. Better to dream of Friday when it’s all over.
You can read Vince’s article in full here – and catch up on the archive of his Mail columns here.
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2 Comments
It is good that Vince Cable writes for the Daily Mail, other LD top brass should write for other Tory papers, too. We need to get the message out everywhere. Prejudice can be changed by exposure to different views.
Vince Cable will rightly win the plaudits for his economic analysis.
But we owe him a great debt also for the work he has done with promoting the cause of diversity within the Liberal Democrats.
The fact that someone with such a high profile and who is currently has a great workload as it is, has focussed on this issue shows how seriously this is taken by the party at the top level.