I'll mention the stain on the night later, but for now, it's thank you time.
First off, (as all the best Oscar speeches do) I'd like to thank Liz and the kids. They have to put up with the nervy candidate (and the grumpy councillor) all year round, as well as helping out in the campaign.
Then I'd like to thank: Ann, Steve, Pam, Sita, Dave, Clare & Owen, Patrick, John & Richard (the Youth Movement), Cait, Andy, Ceri (& Laurence), Laura and Alex, Jim, Steven, Rod, Phil & Annie, Mark, Abi, Lesley, Adrian, Carole and John. They did between them; posters, printing leafletting (22,000 is one hell of a lot of tree) canvassing, covering polling stations, and getting out the vote.
I'd like to thank Ewart Johnson for at least trying to run a campaign with virtually no help, and doing so with good humour. You had to have a sense of humour to walk about all day on polling day with a bright tartan waistcoat on. As one of my helpers said, "It's a pity Ewart didn't get out more, it would have done us a power of good."
I'd like to thank my Liberal Democrat opponent... but I'm not going to. The lazy-arsed swine never did a thing. No leaflets, posters, canvassing... didn't even bother to come to the count. But I suppose they performed a democratic function in giving my anti-war vote somewhere to put their cross.
I'd like to thank the Labour Party Front Bench... but I'm not going to do that either. They were a total bloody shambles, and as someone said in my comments column... 'a fish rots from the head'. It is time for Blair (and Blairism) to get off the stage. The people have spoken, go before they start to scream. We have seen some good Labour candidates defeated yesterday, and they didn't deserve to be stabbed in the back by their own party. If the opposition were not so deeply mistrusted, it could have been much worse. The bigger fear is that Cameron is giving the right no outlet as he imitates Blair, and the knuckledraggers are the biggest gainers there.
Last... but by no means least, I reserve a giant thank you to the 1591 people who voted for me to continue to represent them on behalf of the Labour Party. You deserve better from your Government, but I'll keep on getting on their case and trying to create a better Bearwood. Much to do, and we start today.
