8.04pm: Some random observations:
- This seat certainly appears like a two-horse race. No evidence of LibDem activity.
- Lots of Labour to Tory switchers. Switchers are citing a dislike for Brown as much as the 10p issue.
- Voters are volunteering their unhappiness at Labour's toffs campaign. Stephan Shakespeare wrote earlier about Labour "weapons testing" in Crewe. On today's evidence the weapons are only going to injure their creators.
- Not sure of the effectiveness of Labour's Alex Ferguson poster. Not everyone supports MU! One Arsenal supporter was very unhappy about it.
- One person told one of our team that they were definitely voting for "Tamsin Outhwaite"!
- Real evidence that voters have had enough of this campaign. They've been 'Iowa'ed' with masses of leaflets, rings of the doobell and phone calls. The quality of the Tory literature is the best the ConHome coach party have ever seen from our party but it's close to being too much of a good thing.
- Hat-tip to Islington Tories for providing 5 members of our party of 47. (Promised them we'd mention that).
- This seat is definitely winnable because of the A1 operation being run by Stephen Gilbert and Eric Pickles. We'll know on Friday morning if it was enough.
- Boris will be pleased that no alcohol was consumed on the homeward journey.
6.01pm: Most of the team before we got on the bus to return home at 5.30pm (click to enlarge):
2.52pm: Should have mentioned that most of us were out canvassing/ leafletting within ten minutes of arriving at our "sector HQ" - it's a very efficient operation here... but not everyone wanted our literature:
1.36pm: All activists are now on the campaign trail - delivering leaflets or canvassing. No stopping for lunch. We all ate on the coach. Our base camp is a pub which is displaying posters for all three main parties. Some disappointment here that that doesn't include posters of Miss Great Britain.
The ConHome coach is on its way to Crewe. 47 passengers. 4 boxes of Krispy Kremes consumed (48 donuts). 9 copies of The Sunday Times being read. Six Sunday Telegraphs. Two Mail on Sundays. One Observer. According to reliable reports there were 400 Conservative activists in the constituency yesterday. Tamsin Dunwoody could only boast of half as many Labour activists. Will report more as the day progresses. This is the current view from the 'Hare Express' (although there are a few tortoises on board):
