Nick Clegg effect? This is not what I hear at Mill Hill's doorsteps (From Times Series)

Nick Clegg effect? This is not what I hear at Mill Hill's doorsteps

1:11pm Wednesday 21st April 2010

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After a fantastic breakfast in a Mill Hill coffee bar, we head up to St Paul ’s church on the Ridgeway in Mill Hill. A 'Blue Plaque' on the west wall commemorates the building of the church, in 1833, by the Evangelical Christian politician William Wilberforce, who was one of the leaders of the campaign to abolish both the slave trade and slavery. The Verger also showed us the East Window by Charles Muss, which is a copy of the painting in the National Gallery ('The Dead Christ Mourned') by Annibale Caracci. The church was refurbished a few years ago and it is now a wonderful, bright space that has a meeting room down below which is used by many parts of the community.

Setting up our campaign stall in Mill Hill Broadway people are keen on talking to us in the bright sunshine – even the Liberal Democrats who have their own stall just down the road. Since the Leaders’ Debate the polls have shown the Liberal Democrats gaining support but that is not what we have heard on the doorsteps. The election here is a contest between the Conservatives and five more years of Gordon Brown – and a vote for the Liberals would just allow Gordon Brown to stay in Number 10. Consequently, many people say they will not vote for the Liberals for that reason alone but they also have reservations about the Libs' rejection of Trident, an amnesty for illegal immigrants, and support for the introduction of the Euro in the UK.

Lunch was a highlight of the day at the Wonderful Patterise in Colindale. This really is a lesser-know gem of a restaurant in the constituency. I had the vegetable soup with noodles and it was perfect. The Honey Dew drink was also something to be marveled.

After campaigning that afternoon we watched Milk, the story of Harvey Milk – the first openly homosexual elected supervisor in San Francisco who was assassinated. Milk and Mayor Malzone were not shot as a result of any kind of homophobia but simply that they out-maneuvered a political colleague who was struggling with the system they worked in. I found it sad that someone who was trying to help other people in his community suffered such personal tragedy but what stayed with me was that I was amazed to consider how civil and personal rights have changed in western democracies over the last 30 years.