All over bar the counting..............

The next 34 hours will probably be the longest of my life! After 6 weeks of campaigning across the region (will little time for blogging) I now have to be content to say - I can't change it. Our share of the vote is promising, so I am oscillating between optimism and pessimism on a minute by minute basis!

In the East we have had some notable gains in Essex and Herts - and in the new Bedford unitary I am delighted that we are now the biggest group. I attended the count there yesterday and although it was disappointing not to capture our target seats, where we did win our vote was extremely strong. Before leaving for home I popped in to see Mike and Jackie Smithson. I was delighted to hear that PB was up to 300,000 hits yesterday, but rather disappointed that Mike hadn't had a bet on my winning the second seat!

For those of you interested in the outcome tomorrow night I will be tweeting as soon as we know the result.............

Linda Jack the movie!

Here is a short video that I put together to explain what motivates me and what I stand for:

European Elections - Its the economy stupid!

I was delighted to see how high our European website is coming in Google search when you type in European Elections - and a bit of reassurance that there are still some people out their who recognise that this election is about more than dirty moats, homeless ducks and "growing" families! A friend suggested to me last night that when people on the doorstep were complaining about expenses I should say - oh no, I certainly don't begrudge MPs their bath plugs, after all they are the only people who can afford the hot water to go in the bath now!This is such an important election, while the nation is approaching hysteria about what is going on, at the same time we are in danger of prioritising the "haves" over the increasingly high number of "have nots". The credit crunch has become yesterday's news and yet as we speak many of my fellow Lutonians are worried sick about Vauxhall closing completely. When I was a child nearly everyone had a relative who worked there. My dad did until I was about 8, my uncle a fiery shop steward - nicknamed "Red Ken" in the era of "Red Robbo" did until he died. And across our country ordinary people, who don't have the luxury of "allowances" to build extensions or buy their food, are paying the price for 30 years of Tory government (sorry, but I don't make a distinction between pre and post '97). So the need to work together in Europe to develop better banking regulation, greater consumer and worker protection and to support the development of skills and employment has never been more urgent. How the Tories can see that their isolationist position will be in the best interests of the people of this country beats me.

European Liberal's campaign website

ELDR, the party of liberals in the European Parliament, of which the UK Liberal Democrats are a member, have their own campaign website for these elections. Visit it here:

• www.voteliberal2009.eu

Liberal Democrat manifesto

The Liberal Democrats have launched a special website for our manifesto for the European Elections which you can visit here:

• europe.libdems.org.uk

Campaign Catchup

It has been a hectic few weeks, with little time to update my blog - but at last I can draw breath and share some highlights!

In between knocking on doors I have also had the opportunity to take part in hustings, speak to young people and meet staff from that amazing organisation Mind. I visited the local Mind in Hemel Hempstead a couple of weeks ago with PPC Richard Grayson and local County Council candidate Ron Tindall. CEO Julie Atree felt that more could be done at a European level to share good practice and push for better Mental Health care across member states. We discussed the very real need for services for those with mental health conditions to be far more co-ordinated, particularly in regard to housing.

I have also relished the opportunity to talk to young people. Sal Brinton - PPC for Watford and I took part in a "Question Time" at West Herts College in Watford last week. The questions were challenging, not least because of the current political climate.

Later in the week a visit to Stanway school in Colchester gave me another opportunity to talk to young people, this time student council representatives. Strangely enough I guess that is where my political career began - I still have my "council" badge to prove it and was interested to note that whilst so much else has changed such enamelled badges are still exactly the same as they were 40 years ago!

The Hope Not Hate campaign has been active up and down the country to challenge the racist BNP on the streets of Britain. I joined the demonstration in Great Yarmouth, handing out leaflets and talking to shoppers about what they really stood for. Sadly the only other parties represented were Labour and the Greens, clearly not such a concern for candidates from other parties. I was most impressed with two women vicars who had turned up in their dog collars to take a stand. Both expressed the view that it was at times like this the church needs to be seen on the streets rather than in a holy huddle.

Hustings are always interesting, it doesn't matter how much you prepare you can't predict all the questions! I enjoyed hustings organised by Colchester pensioners a couple of weeks ago (though at a loss to understand why the Tories didn't turn up) and then last weekend I was in Welwyn for the UNA hustings - then in Woodbridge on Thursday evening for hustings organised by Transition Woodbridge an organisation committed to positive action on climate change. Knowing that this was one of the rare hustings when UKIP would be present I had come armed ready to answer questions about the Lisbon Treaty! Sadly there were no questions about it at all - so I had to use my final statement to quote from said treaty, based on the shared values of Freedom, Democracy, Equality and the Rule of Law - "it shall combat social exclusion and discrimination and shall promote social justice and the protection of equality between men and women, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child" Have to confess I am more than happy with those shared objectives.

On the Campaign Trail

With a great opportunity to take a second seat for the LIb Dems in the East I am now full time on the campaign trail. To follow what I have been up to and my reactions to issues being raised in the campaign - follow this blog.

Last week I was in Norfolk Essex Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, as ever, what surprised me was the softness of the Tory vote. People who said they had always voted Tory before but now weren't sure. Is this a sign of the increasing cynicism towards politics and politicians in general, or an underlying disconnect between the 'Tory grassroots and their leader? I only came across one person who was keen to vote BNP. I pointed out to him what I point out to every BNP voter - it's a democracy, you can vote for whoever you choose, but just remember this, if the fascists ever get into power you will never vote again!

I also attended a reception for the ALDE group at the National Liberal Club and their conference the following day addressed by Nick Clegg and among others my CEO Hector Sants.