Charles Kennedy comes to Hornsey & Wood Green! Visiting Weston Park Primary School on – incidentally – the 10th anniversary of the school council, who had democratically chosen questions to ask him.

Charles swept in – but on the way stopped to talk to Sue Hessel from the Save Red Gables campaign group, which we support. Hope that adds to pressure – then in to the school.

Whilst the original plan was for Charles to meet ten children, we decide with the head, that it wouldn’t be fair to have CK in school and for the other children not to have even seen him. So we go into every classroom to say hello. Good morning Charles Kennedy – they say. So sweet.

Then into the room with the School Council who ask a question from each class. ‘What will you do if you don’t get picked?’, ‘How will you save pandas?’ and ‘What is your favourite food?’

Charles handled it all really brilliantly – good balance between substantive answers but put in a friendly way without being condescending.

Then after about 20 minutes the children went back to their lessons and the media had their way with him. ‘Why had he come to Hornsey & Wood Green?’ Well – there’s an election … and we can win here! That’s what leaders do – turn up in top target seats! One journalist asked what I would do that the current Labour doesn’t? Charles immediately referred her to the Evening Standard poll of London MPs where LibDem MPs took first, second and third place for hard work etc. Then the leader’s tour sweeps on to the next seat and we get back to our normal campaigning.