Nothing like finishing up with a bang, they say.

Yesterday Anthony Nelson, a Treasury minister in John Major's government and
an MP for twenty-odd years (1974-1997) announced he was href="http://election.independent.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=76299">defecting to
Labour. Certainly not a crushing thing in itself, but it doesn't exactly set
the right mood heading into election day.

Today Marney Swan, chairman of the Conservative Women's National Council, the
Conservative Party's women's
organization, said William Hague had href="http://election.independent.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=76303">blown it
with the women's vote with his combative anti-Europe campaign stance. She also
said she'd be calling for an inquiry after the election to find out how things
got so screwed up.

Meanwhile in a perhaps necessary, but href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/vote2001/hi/english/newsid_1368000/1368660.stm">still
humiliating and pathetic ruse, William Hague has announced a detailed
20-point action plan for his (mythical) first two weeks as Prime Minister,
including his plan to halve the number of 'spin doctors' in the government.

'Spin doctors' being the party hacks who pen bamboozling speeches and action
plans that have no relation whatsoever to reality.