Campaigning in the Ettingshall by-election

8.52.55am GMT Mon 23rd Mar 2009

Over to the other side of Wolverhampton yesterday to give Stephanie Kerrigan and the Liberal Democrats in Ettingshall a hand before Thursday's by-election.

Ettingshall is a very Labour ward, I am told the safest in Wolverhampton and Stephanie and the team are looking to pull off a huge upset.

On Sunday morning we were out delivering but it certainly didn't feel like a by-election no signs of the other parties until we were finishing when we saw a solitary Labour delivery, no one else and nothing having been delivered before us on people's doormats. Of course there could have been lots of activity on the rest of the ward!

In the afternoon we did some canvassing, which went well, I suspect turnout won't be great but the result could be interesting and a lot closer than most might think. There was one guy that I couldn't convince to vote - he said he would only vote if Vince Cable was the candidate as is the only one that makes sense - Vince if you would like to resign from Parliament there is a potential Council seat in Wolverhampton for you!

The afternoon begun to feel like a by-election although we didn't see any Tories there were three Labour canvassers out too in our patch, including their candidate Sandra Samuels. I have a fair bit of time for Sandra and wish her luck, Sandra used to be my Councillor until we beat her in 2006 and is a really nice person if Labour have to have Councillors in Wolverhampton (and I guess they do) if they could all be like Sandra then politics in this City would certainly be much nicer and friendly.