At last Gordon Brown has called the General Election – a date that was always obvious as soon as he decided against calling it in his first Autumn as PM. Here in Bath we have got of to a flying start with literature going out, posters going up and large numbers of doors being knocked. Its great to be canvassing with a real polling day in mind.

So far I have canvassed in Walcot in Bath and Bathford in the NE Somerset constituency. There are still a large number of people who are angry about the MP expenses issue – but these seem to be mainly Conservative households. They obviosuly feel embarrased that the worst excess on expenses came from Conservative MPs – duck islands, moats, manure etc – and get round the embarresment by blaming everyone. Perversly several of these have decided to vote UKIP – the party with the worst track record of all on claims – but then as these were in Europe they dont register on the radar. Its a strange life.

Also in both Walcot and Bathford the crazy traffic plans of our local Conservative administration were raised in anger. They won’t solve congestion as claimed and will ruin beautiful green space. But then I suppose that is par for the course with them. On the radio this evening it was describing the very large number of prospective Conservative MPs who simply deny that climate change is happening. A sentiment that we hear regularly in our Council from several Conservative Councillors.