Stage managed in Sunderland

Putting aside the heckling Gordon Brown experienced in the Glass Centre in Sunderland today, the one thing that struck me about Labour's meeting in my own region was the way it was heavily packed out by Labour hacks. The uninvited heckler may have spoilt the choreographed meeting but it looks like he was the only "real person" who got into the meeting, despite Labour suggestions last week that Brown would be meeting more "ordinary people". The saga of Mrs Duffy may have put Brown off meeting more voters face to face but the stage management of the Sunderland meeting had to be seen to be believed. I recognised a large number of Labour members in the audience and when questions were invited, what came forth were mini-speeches praising the Great Leader from party loyalists wearing red rosettes.

Meanwhile, Nick ran into trouble in Malvern where his special branch minders rather rapidly removed someone from his presence. And in Essex, Cameron had the spectacle of the BNP protesting about his presence.

As for me, I've spent most of today delivering. It's the big weekend push to try to get the remaining undecideds to come our way. Quite a few people in Blaydon constituency have already voted - we have a high proportion of people on postal votes so in one ward today I was delivering letters to people who vote at polling stations. In my ward a third of people are on postal vote. The battle however continues and with our local newspaper, the Evening Chronicle, reporting that we could win Blaydon, we are leaving no stone unturned as we approach polling day.

And finally, after decades of buying the Guardian, it's nice to know the investment has paid off. Not surprisingly, the Observer has followed its sister paper's lead and is backing the Lib Dems as well. I shall enjoy reading it tomorrow.