A Last Post

Campaigning has been busy and the blog has often been neglected, but we are nearly there now. The final poll of the campaign has the Greens at 10% and the Liberal Democrats at 9%. In polling across "the North" (YouGov) or "North West" (some of the others that don't prompt for the Greens) its clear that we are ahead of the Lib Dems. I now see us in direct competition with the Conservatives (who will be trying to hold a 2nd seat) and UKIP, who will be trying to gain a 3rd in the North West.

We are going to need more than the 8% the BNP gained last time. I believe we'll need 9% to be sure, and that is why my final message is firstly to Labour voters to consider splitting their ballot (1 local vote for Labour and 1 Euro vote for Green) to put pressure of Ed Miliband to offer the country a more progressive government if he is elected.

Secondly, I'm asking Liberal Democrat voters in the North West, particularly those on the social liberal wing, to lend us their vote this time to ensure that a party against the gagging bill, fracking and Trident (all things the Liberal Democrats once stood for) will be representing the North West in the European Parliament.

Finally, I'm urging Green voters and other non-Labour voters on the left to ensure we kick Nick Griffin so far out of the European Parliament that we will here the thud as he lands back in North Wales. It's been a blight on our region that he has represented us for the past five years and we must ensure it can never, ever happen again.

Thanks for all your support and please get out and vote positively. I leave you with my link to my last column for the Manchester Evening News, about Hope not Fear.