Updates to my blog have been a bit thin on the ground lately, but the campaigning has not stopped! In between bunches of 11 hour shifts at work (including a night shift that screwed my body clock up for days after), leafletting/canvassing and attending the various hustings/debates with General Election candidates there has been little time for blogging.

Last night I set the Sky+ to record the Leader’s Debates and headed off to Irlam to lend my support to Richard Gadsden, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Worsley & Eccles South. Since most of our efforts are going into the Salford & Eccles campaign, where Norman Owen is likely to oust Hazel Blears – Richard hasn’t had the benefit of much support from the local party. In fact, Richard was leafletting in Swinton South yesterday morning! Therefore, I felt it only right that a couple of Lib Dem members stopped by to say hello and listen to the debate.

It was good to chat with Jackie Anderson and Pamela Welsh prior to the debate – both are to be applauded for their respective organisation and participation in the Irlam & Cadishead Question Time (which Jackie admits was inspired by the recent Seedley & Langworthy Question Time debates in Langworthy).

The subjects were varied and wide-ranging, from the obvious local environment issues, war in Iraq/Afghanistan, interational aid and even a question about “the 3 pillars of sustainability” (to which I admit, I had no idea what they were until I Googled them).

Richard showed he had a sound knowledge of Lib Dem policy and was able to articulate that into well spoken answers that I’m sure the audience could relate to, although I was dissapointed that Tory candidate Iain Lindley and Sale-based Worsley MP Barbara Keeley argued about leaflet lies and I still don’t know which of them is telling the truth about SureStart centres!

In any event, it was a good night for democracy and it was therefore fitting that Kat and I returned home to watch the Sky News Leaders Debate, which we had earlier set to record. One thing struck me as we watched, how similar the pre-prepared answers were of Iain Lindley and David Cameron. I was hoping that, like Richard Gadsden and Nick Clegg, politicians vying to be our future leaders would understand their party policies and articulate them in language that the audience could understand. But no, David Cameron and Iain Lindley had learned their manifestos parrot-fashion and felt it acceptable to reel it off, page by page.

Of course, at least Lindley, Gadsden and Keeley knew what their manifestos contained, unlike the UKIP candidate who, at times, seemed to desperately search his notes for answers (they weren’t there). The English Democrat representative was not much better – they were easily the poorest on the panel and well out of their depth.

Once again, a big thank you to Jackie Anderson for organising the Irlam & Cadishead Question Time and Salford Advertiser reporter Pamela Welsh for chairing the hustings. Next time Pamela, be more assertive