The defeat of Charles Clarke
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Before normal service is resumed and the business of government gets underway I'd like to cast your minds back to the eelction night itself, when we lost a figure who has loomed large on the political horizon in the east for many years.
It was quite an eventful night.
After doing an early bit of radio I headed down to the Norwich South count, arriving at around 11.
Plenty of media chums there to chat to, while the counters verified the ballots, making sure they are all right and proper.
12.30 and there's a tea break; it's 01.30 before they start counting again and as soon as they do, it's clear something is up.
We walk round the tables and can see votes piling up for former Home Secretary, , and for Lib Dem Simon Wright, the young pretender.
This is one of the seats, along with Cambridge in our region, which has a four way split.
Support for the was supposed to reduce the challenge but on the night, Norwich failed to go Green.
It looks close. Really close. But we can't quite believe it.
Charles paced the floor and settled with his family on the far side of the chilly St Andrews Hall, sipping coffee into the wee small hours as the winds of change blew.
We talk to Labour supporters and to the quietly confident Lib Dems, who also can't quite believe what is unfolding.
We stare at bundles of ballot papers piled in the middle but they're too higgledy-piggledy to tell.
His majority of 3,023 never looked secure and we suspect he has lost his seat.
Finally, at 0400 in the morning, a trestle table is brought out and all the bundles laid out in front of us.
We peer over the edge of the table but we can't see properly. There's 27 bundles and a small pile for each at the back.
Bundles are checked and checked again. Candidates are called and called again.
And then a Lib Dem supporter tells us they've got it. I file to the office and the declaration is made.
Yes, the official declaration is a minute or two after the people at the count find out.
No one had seen it on the doorsteps.
We accept the theory that the postal vote, recorded at the height of 'Cleggmania', may have played a part.
Charles Clarke takes it on the chin and concedes with dignity.
The voters have now decided Norwich is to be represented by the youngest Conservative MP, , who was re-elected the following day and a fresh faced Lib Dem, Simon Wright.
We emerged at daybreak at the end of an era for Labour in the city.
Welcome to the political blog for the East. I'm Deborah McGurran, the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Political Editor for the region. From Lowestoft to Luton, this is the place for politics with an eastern twist.
Comment number 1.
At 14th May 2010, Nich wrote:In what way does Cambridge have a four way split ?
I seem to recall the Greens got 7% of the vote.
Do you really think this makes it a four way marginal ?
No wonder so few people read this blog or comment on it as your version of events does not tally with the real world/
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