I popped down to the Chamber of the House of Commons, and bumped into a predecessor of mine as parliamentary candidate for the constituency currently known as Blaby (South Leicestershire from the next election), Keith Hill. He made it to Westminster as MP for Streatham - and is currently Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Clearly a man with a busy few hours ahead of him, then a well deserved relax!In the Chamber itself there were many more prayer cards than usual. MPs can reserve a seat for the day by leaving a card in the chosen place - and if they are there for prayers, they can keep that place for the rest of the day. There are usually a few for every PMQs - but today many more. By 09.50 there were 24 on the Labour Benches and a mass on the Tory side.
10.00 A crowd is now established outside the gates to Downing Street. A sole protestor stands on the opposite side of Whitehall. His sign reads 'Good Riddance' on one side and 'Next Stop the Hague' on the other. Inside the gate the removal van continues to be loaded - there are a lot of police and many cameras. More continue to arrive.
