Tweet of the Day
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On the news that Russell Brand is now urging people to vote, the Telegraph’s Michael Deacon tweeted: “Now all that Russell Brand's fans have to do is build a time machine so that they can meet the deadline for voter registration”
Picture of the Day
In what John Rentoul dubbed “The most absurd, embarrassing, counter-productive, demeaning, inane, childish, silly, insulting, awkward, laughable, ridiculous gimmick I have ever seen”, Ed Miliband has unveiled an eight foot tall stone which includes Labour’s six pledges.
The battle for endorsements
Newspaper and celebrity endorsements have been coming in fast over the Bank Holiday weekend
In what is fair to say as the most surprising endorsement so far, the Independent has backed the continuation of the current Coalition government if a hung parliament occurs at the end of this week, the second paper to do so following the FT’s endorsement of a Conservative-led coalition that includes the Lib Dems last week. The Labour Party have meanwhile been backed by Delia Smith, Steve Coogan, Paul O’Grady, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jo Brand and, in a complete reversal of his previous position of encouraging people not to vote, Russell Brand.
Aside from the Independent and FT, most of the print media have backed their traditional parties. The Sun (in England at least), the Daily Mail and the Sunday Times have all backed the Conservatives. The Sunday Times has, however, advocated voting tactically for the Liberal Democrats in areas where the Conservatives cannot win. The New Statesman has somewhat begrudgingly giving its endorsement to the Labour Party along with The Mirror and The Guardian. In Scotland, the Scottish Sun has backed the SNP in a staunchly anti-Labour move.
PPC Watch
Connect looks at a Labour Party future star, standing against Natalie Bennett in Holborn and St Pancras
Sir Keir Starmer is a former barrister who was the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013. Sir Keir was selected in controversial circumstances: to stand for selection, Labour candidates have to be members of the party for more than a year, so to allow him to stand for the seat the central Labour Party delayed the selection. Holborn and St Pancras is a very safe Labour seat, with the retiring MP Frank Dobson holding it since 1983. However, Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett will be hoping to change this and improve on her 2.7% share of the vote in 2010.
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