"Just getting in touch to let you know that I will be voting for..."

A number of people have got in touch regarding the Labour Party's NEC elections. (I need to go to my dad's to pick up my ballot paper - the perils of the nomadic life).

What surprises me is the pretty silly way these approaches have been made.

They all (accross the spectrum of candidates) appear to be taking the form "I just thought I should let you know that I will be voting for..."

Is it just me or is this the most ridiculous way of going about things? I presume (hope) that most of the people who are getting in touch have done a fair bit of knocking on doors and talking to ordinary voters in their time. In which case, surely they wouldn't ever have considered knocking at No. 37 and saying "Hi Mrs Goggins, I just thought I'd pop round to let you know I will be voting Labour in the forthcoming local council byelection". It would make you seem like a bit of a dope wouldn't it?

Anyhow. For what it's worth, it will surprise nobody to learn that I made my mind up which way I shall be voting long ago. If you're interested, two people I will be definately voting for are Ellie Reeves and Peter Wheeler. My biggest obsession in the Labour Party is the hard work and resources that are needed to get more young people involved. Both these people have a record on this that simply knocks spots of the rest of the candidates in the race.

I can think of at least one young person who would never have got involved either in a local Young Labour group or University Labour Club without their hard work.

Me.

But I don't think me posting this here is going to make a whole lot of difference to the way you vote.