Apologies for the delay in posting anything at all - been in the midst of a frenzied last few days campaigining - and this is only brief because I've got a splitting headache. Just 4,000 votes short of Lindsey German getting elected to the Greater London Assembly - and 500,000 spoilt ballots across London, mostly in the mayoral race, but significantly distributed with our major votes. Understandably, given the shocking number of spoilt papers, appeals are being made by a few of the parties standing: and there's certainly more than enough evidence of dirty tricks in City and East to cause significant concern - voters being asked for unnecessary ID, polling booths closing early... I don't hold out much hope from it, though we'll see what happens. Eighty-four thousands votes city-wide, representing 4.5% of the total, is fantastic, given the virtual media blackout Respect enjoyed - broken only by a recommendations not to vote for us from the predictable liberal media. Twenty thousand in my old East London stamping ground - 15%, pushing Lib Dems into fourth place - is just staggering; likewise Lindsey beating the Greens and the BNP in the mayoral race. "Hurrah!" seems reasonable, though the infuriating absence of a GLA seat makes our work rather more difficult over the next few months. Roll on the Euro-results - though I don't know quite what to expect from them - and the Leicester by-election.

However, enough of this. Edward Staines, a regular lurker in the DML comment boxes, now has a blog to act as forum for his addled thoughts.