Radio Gaga*

It was my intention to blog several times a day throughout the election campaign, but to be honest I've seen very little of it so far. I haven't had time to watch television, read the papers, or check out any online coverage. Over the next few days I will try to give a summary of what Parliament has been up to in the last few days, and my personal take on both issues and process, so please bear with me... Obviously have to prioritise clearing the decks in Westminster first and replying to all of the many, many requests to sign election pledges. To keep you entertained in the meantime, someone has sent me this transcript of an interview David Cameron did on BBC Radio Gloucestershire today. [Actually, now got the link, painful....]

Mark Cummings: How important to you is this part of the UK?

DC: Oh very important and there are vital swing seats we need to win, Cheltenham, Gloucester itself so you’ll see very hard campaigning across Gloucestershire. I feel I’m almost a home boy as my constituency’s just next door in West Oxfordshire but it’s obviously, this is a vital election and there’s a real chance of proper change in our country, not having to put up with another five years of Gordon Brown and I hope people take the opportunity.

MC: OK, swing seats, this is your neighbouring patch, you mentioned Cheltenham and Gloucester, any other places in Gloucestershire you’re interested in?

DC: Well I’m interested, we’re interested in winning every seat in Gloucestershire frankly. There are no no-go areas for the party, I mentioned two that spring to mind. Um, but you know, you have to…the truth about this election is that you have to win in every part of the country, you’ve got to win in the South West, you’ve got to win in the West and East Midlands, win in the North of England and that is what we’re focused on.

MC: But if you want to be the next Prime Minister obviously you need to get a grasp of which are those vital swing seats, so you mentioned Cheltenham and Gloucester, but obviously here there is another one in Gloucestershire. Which is the other one that you’re desperate to get that you should really get?

DC: Er, you’re giving me a test here. Um, well it’s all of them. I’m trying to er, think,, you’re testing me out now, hold on, er, which other seats. Well I can’t think of one we don’t want to win.

MC : Well Gloucestershire, it’s easy. It’s next to Oxfordshire.

DC: Yeah I know where exactly where Gloucestershire is. No. You can test me…no we need to win every seat and obviously we already hold the Cirencester seat, we already hold the Tewksbury seat, we need to, we already hold the, um, er, the, the, um, er, the, the, the…we need to win Cheltenham, we need to win Gloucester, er, I’m desperately racking my brain and thinking what other seats, er, we’ve got. Obviously, er, we’ve got Mark Harper as well, I’m sure he will be fighting very hard in this coming campaign. What have I missed out?

MC: Laurie Lee? Cider with Rosie? David Drew?...

DC: Aah, yes of course, Stroud. Very important. We’ve got an excellent candidate there in, in, in Neil Carmichael. I’ve been out on the streets with him, I’ve done a, erm, public meetings in Stroud. You’re quite right. Sorry. First thing in the morning, my geography let me down, but no Stroud is a vital seat and we’ll be fighting all of not just Stroud but the Slad valley, um, and Cider with Rosie, you’re quite right. I will go and refresh on my Laurie Lee.

* This breaks my rule about only using titles of songs I like, but my teabreak is over and I have to get back to work so no time to think of anything better! Good songs with radio in the title: Radio Free Europe, Radio Radio... Good songs about radio: Transmission, Turn it On.... No, inspiration fails me, back to the grindstone!