Steeling oneself for the final furlong...

Today saw another milestone in the race for the Presidency, the last Regional Conferences before close of poll, and Ros and I were in Sheffield for the last of the four informal hustings, hosted by the Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Party.

I've become increasingly convinced that these events fail to allow anything other than superficial treatment of the serious issues that fall within the remit of the Presidency, but acknowledge that there have been few opportunities for members to compare the challengers in 'live time'.

However, Ros has made an effort to avoid the glib soundbite and engage in a serious debate with Lembit and Chandila, and the question and answer sessions have given her a platform to go into some depth in terms of what is possible and how it might be achieved. It is for others to judge how well she has performed, but I'm proud of her persistence in sticking to her gameplan and not seeking to push the populist button in the search for votes.

It does seem that most people who are intending to vote have now done so, although I'm sure that the final round of e-mails will act as a reminder to some to dig out that ballot paper and use it wisely.

By this time next week, we'll know our fate, and life will change, one way or the other. Whatever happens though, Ros, and her campaign team, will have done everything they could to persuade the membership of Ros's worth. We'll have had some fun along the way, and provoked a meaningful debate about where the Party goes from here.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm proud of what Ros has achieved, I'm proud to have been able to help in my own way, and I'm proud to be a Liberal Democrat. Not a bad way to reach the end of a campaign, methinks...