4am bulletin from Crewe and Nantwich

'Don't assume victory, work for it' was a favourite motto of Margaret Thatcher.  That motto lives on in today's Conservative Party.  Taking nothing for granted 120 Conservative volunteers were on the streets of Crewe and Nantwich at 4am this morning for a 'dawn raid'.  A final get-out-the-vote leaflet was popped through thousands of voters' doors.  Here is a wide-awake Eric Pickles (with Mark Simmonds MP) with that 'Good morning, send Gordon Brown a message' leaflet:

Also up early delivering were another Pickles - Ant (no relation) - and Michael Fabricant MP:

Some of you should be tabloid headline writers.  In yesterday's thread englandism suggested some of the headlines that might greet the result that we all hope for (and many are still working very hard for).  That inspired a few of you to think of your own headlines.  Here are the five best:

1. BROWN HIT BY CREWE'S MISSILE (Englandism)
2. CREWECIFIED (James Burdett)
3. ALL CHANGE AT CREWE (Man in a Shed)
4. GORDON S'CREWED BY 10P FIASCO (Serf)
5. And just so Nantwich doesn't feel left out... GORDON BROWN IS DEAD NAN TWITCHING (Andrew Lilico).

See the graphic below to note that both NO2ID and the TaxPayers' Alliance advertised online during the campaign.  The TPA urged people to vote for lower taxes and NO2ID quoted Gwyneth Dunwood's concerns about ID cards.  You'll note that the LibDems' Elizabeth Shenton is also e-vertising.

And finally... Benjamin Gray has captured this photo of Nick Clegg campaigning in Crewe.  Mr Clegg's expression doesn't exactly match the Winning Here placard!

! REMEMBER !
Liveblog from 10.30pm tonight as we await this historic by-election result.  Expected at about 3am tomorrow.

Comments

[Paul D]

If there's one thing that would put me off voting then it's being woken up by a leaflet through the door at that sort of time

[James, Swadlincote]

I noticed that the news about 8,000 names, phone numbers and voting intentions accidentally being sent to Manx Radio isn't mentioned on the sight.

Mind, the BBC gave it about 3 minutes before shoving Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsy on interuppting Timpson every 12 seconds again.

[Blue Eyes]

Paul D: that is what I thought when we did a similar drop during a local campaign but I actually had someone running out of the house wishing us good luck!

[Andrew Woodman]

Hopefully the deliverers are being careful to not wake people up. Fantastic effort. Better prepare for a long night.

[Chris]

It is possible to deliver dawn raid leaflets without disturbing the homeowner provided you are careful with the letterboxes. Golden rule though - If the dog starts barking don't put the leaflet through!!!

[Michael Fabricant]

Andrew Woodman and Paul D make good points. The drop took longer than normal because we were very careful NOT to snap the letter boxes and wake anyone up! (You feel like a criminal doing it before dawn!)

[Cleethorpes Rock]

Very best of luck to Edward and everyone up at Crewe and Nantwich Conservatives. I really enjoyed my day there last Sunday on the ConHome fun bus and hope you can bring home a victory tonight!

Well done too to The Great Pickles. I suppose he'll be telling Mrs Pickles to get her bucket and spade packed for Henley now!

[ChrisD]

Best of luck, and well done to everyone involved in this fantastic campaign.

"The drop took longer than normal because we were very careful NOT to snap the letter boxes and wake anyone up! (You feel like a criminal doing it before dawn!)"

The thought of 120 of you, all sneaking around trying to be quiet made me smile this morning.

[Will S]

I have a problem. I want to stay up and watch the result come in, but on the other hand I have a politics exam tomorrow morning. God I hate this.

Maybe an afternoon nap would give me enough energy to stay up all night?

[Bexie]

Paul D | May 22, 2008 at 08:42

4am ie when the posties start. And the milkies. It has never been a problem for us and I for one have frequently been up leafleting especially during one of my many paper canditatures

[Bexie]

Got the champers cooling already... I am thinking I am hearing the grindstone whirring on blades in NuLab HQ as we speak

[Paul D]

Bexie, don't go leafletting in Huudersfield then, one of my work colleagues lives there and bollocked the LibDems on May 1 for delivering at 6:30 am and waking his kids

[Dawn Parry]

I've been campaigning since Monday in the Nantwich part of this constituency and local people are quite bemused by all the media descending on the 2 towns. They also are very fond of Edward Timpson. A lovely lady yesterday evening was tending her front garden when she spotted me with my flyers and Conservative rosettes and said "Did you see Newsnight last night? (Yes, of course I did!), "Well, I've been a socialist all my life, but that woman - she was so smug. She's no interest in us here in Nantwich! She's not a quarter the woman her mother was and she's no politician. Gordon Brown thinks we're thick up here....bribing us with that payback sweetener of the 10p. Well we all know it's only for this year! It's just another con trick. I'll not be voting for them again. Timpson's Cheshire born and bred and that's good enough for me!"
I thanked her for her support and she shouted after me, "And I'm not the only one around here thinks like that!"
This is a fabulously vibrant campaign, though all the faces and the action seem to have been in Crewe because I've hardly seen anyone I know from other areas in this bit of the constituency! There are however loads and loads of volunteers here whom I've never met before.
I'm looking forward to tonight's sleepless night! Oh, and for anyone who may be wondering why Edward Timpson wasn't on Newsnight with the other 2 candidates, he was addressing the rural costituents in the area.....a far more important engagement.

[Tony Makara]

Will S, don't you dare go into that exam with four hours sleep. You've worked all year for this. Wake up to the good news of a Conservative bi-election victory and take that with you into the examinations hall. Good luck, and don't forget to read the questions several times over and think about how you are going to answer before starting.

[Richard]

Will, that exam may affect the rest of your life, don't risk it!

[Sue Doughty]

Ooooh, how's it going? What's the turnout? How is it looking in the numbers? Ooh, I can't wait!

[Buckinghamshire Tory]

Tony Makara is (as usual) right.

[Kevin Davis]

Will S

don't worry too much about the exam, they are apparently now printing the answers on the other side of the paper!!

[Neil Wilson]

Spent the day in Crewe again yesterday and am really pleased with how well the campaign is being run. Hats doffed to all.

A slicker campaign I never did see. Not a single stone has been left unturned.

Fingers crossed it all pays off.

[Adam Johns]

We do a dawn raid in Cardiff North. You dont go up gravel drives or to houses with lights on and you don't put a leaflet through if the dog starts barking.

We had a Serbian girl from our sister party with our 2007 Assembly campaign and she walked up a cul de sac talking at full volume on her phone. A woman opened the door and threw a leaflet in her face and screamed "You just lost a vote!". Labour rang the police on us once too.

[James H]

Will S,

Don't be an idiot and get a decent night's sleep! Even if you know the subject backwards.

[C List and Proud]

The data which was in advertently sent to the wrong e-mail address had no more information in it that one could get by some dilligent work through the electoral roll and phone number directories.

That didn't stop Labour delivering automated message calls at 7.00am - are they mad? - accusing us of selling people's personal data abroad!

How low can they stoop?

[John Pickworth]

Wishing everyone great success... and thank you in advance to all those who have worked so hard on the campaign.

[Andrew Morrison]

So Maggie thinks winning an election is a hard slog, and one should assume nothing? Yes, she's right as always.

As for the by-election today, with the Tory candidate being the owner of Timpsons, I reckon it is going to be a shoo-in (sic).

[Janet Clowes]

As an Association officer in C&NCA, who like my colleagues, has been campaigning non-stop for weeks - it has been fantastic a) to have met so many of you up here - you were enthusiastic, co-operative & amazing b)to have met so many MP's whose hard work earned my respect, (even as they lost their mystique)!and c) to have finally had my first decent night's sleep for weeks! Thank you - it was definitely worth the effort! (Of course, while we shall all have a short R&R break - the work will now have to start to ensure Edward stays on in 2010!.......)