I was feeling half elated and half deflated at news of Gordon 
Brown’s Cabinet meltdown; my delight was measured by concern that it would alienate voters even more on the eve of the Euro and council elections.
The mass resignations were surely a cunning plan on the part of Blears, Smith et al, knowing it would heap maximum humiliation on Brown. In a way, he is the Conservative’s best “asset”, but it is now surely only a matter of time before he is forced to admit he has lost the confidence of his MPs, as well as the respect of the nation. I believe this time next week the Labour Party will be seeking a new leader.
So, with the UK parliament and democracy suffering its biggest crisis in living memory, it was an interesting time for me to join my MEP Robert Sturdy and Euro candidates John Flack and Clare Whelan as they campaigned in Peterborough with local supporters.
As we arrived at the city’s shopping centre, I saw a long queue 
of people waiting patiently. It grew longer and longer and longer. Then I noticed we were standing outside Waterstone’s and read a sign which said that the much-admired naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough would be arriving for a book signing in two hours time. I had half hoped it might have been an orderly line of politically curious locals who wanted to meet our much-admired candidates!
I know that all the people who spoke to Robert, John and Clare were really pleased for the opportunity to express their their lack of trust in politicians, concerns about immigration, worries about free bus passes being axed and the future of their city’s open market.
During the morning Robert was handed an apple by two women promoting a tooth-whitening system and was shocked when he read on its label that its country of origin was New Zealand. He refused to eat it.
“What’s wrong with English apples?” he asked. “This apple has been sprayed with pesticides which we don’t allow in the EU to make it shiny like this.”
That’s why we need Conservative MEPs like Robert to speak up for British interests and common sense.
Ludicrously, the women had been told by the city council that they had to handle the apples wearing latex gloves to meet health and safety regulations. Will we soon see our market traders forced to wear latex gloves when they weigh 1lb of apples, or is it a kilo? Would they have been arrested if they hadn’t?
We then headed off to Flitwick, Bedfordshire to meet more shoppers and commuters at the railway station. It was a challenging and hard day’s work on a memorable day that continued to gather devastating political momentum as the hours went by.
We now have to wait and see how will this be reflected in tomorrow’s polls….
