The next four years

Could have shot the person on Thursday night/Friday morning who cheerfully suggested that I would be OK whatever happened because "they'd probably want me in the House of Lords" - not what I wanted to be hearing at all.

Since the result was announced I have had one moment of weakness. Feeling shattered after four weeks of an election campaign (plus all that led up to it) I contemplated making an early decision to stand down, spending my days topping up the tan (what tan?) with a bit of light election monitoring in sunny climates and enjoying myself for four years.

A night sleep and I realised that that isn't me at all so it looks like I might be doing things the hard way and slogging at it for the next few years. The words of a certain Peter Mandelson come to mind,

"I'm a fighter not a quitter"

This will probably be the only time I ever quote him.