It's all very well talking about the impact of the expenses scandal, but nothing beats being on the doorstep to find out how real people are thinking. So I've spent the morning in Langport, knocking on doors.
And, to be honest, the level of Lib Dem support seems to be holding up well. Yes, I've met a number of people who aren't going to vote because 'you're all crooks', but when you probe further, you discover that many of them don't vote normally anyway.
It was nice to spend some time with David Heath on his patch though. For those who expect their MP to be a clean-shaven man in a smart suit, David isn't going to quite fit. On the other hand, if you want an MP who looks utterly at home on his patch, who can recommend a good local beer to drink (and you know that he's tried it) and knows the area like the back of his hand, David's your man.
There is no doubt in my mind that we need to steel ourselves to get onto doorsteps wherever we are, and face the music. It might not be a comfortable process, but they'll respect us for doing it.
I've been out in Shrewsbury pretty regularly throughout this whole shitstorm breaking, and I have to say, it's not that bad. Yes, some people are angry, but they are still able to be civil, and as you say, a lot of the most dismissive people are generally non-voters anyway.
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