8725 votes! (and a historic third term...)

Well, I certainly didn't come into this expecting to hold up the Labour vote in Oxford West and Abingdon, so I hope I can be forgiven for being slightly pleased that the Labour vote didn't decline by the three or four thousand I was expecting, but by just 389 votes - a mere 1.1%. Overheard at the count from one Liberal to another "But where did all those Labour votes come from?!" So, despite the count not being over until a monstrous 6am, I had an okay night personally. I have to laugh at the venom with which people have said to me (in person, at the Oxford STWC and in the comments down the page) "I hope you come third!" - surely they must realise that I always knew I would come third... And no, Evan, despite your "best" efforts, I didn't lose my deposit. Results here at the Guardian - though they still can't spell my name, despite me telling them at least three times!

Overall, of course, it was a good night for the party. Andrew's back in Oxford East, thank goodness - couldn't bear the thought of the Liberals representing the poorer areas of our city, away from the tourist cameras. Great team, and they pulled it out of the bag. And we've got that third term - let's hope it's less New Labour and more Labour (though they've just announced that Ruth Kelly will be staying on at education - and as an ex-Labour PPC I guess I can now say that when we have a still high (though falling) teenage pregnancy rate and a high STI rate amongst young people, putting a pro-lifer in charge of the teenage pregnancy unit and sex education in schools has always seemed totally ridiculous to me.)

I'm pleased that the number of woman MPs has gone up again to 21% - 136 of 645, mainly because of Labour's committment to positive action, though it's also partly due to the lower number of seats available this time too because of the Scottish reorganisation.

There were some losses - mostly unremarkable nationally, though having been through that moment when you think that your local area might lose its Labour representative, my heart goes out to the teams of activists in every seat that went blue or bluey-yellow last night. Somewhere and Somewhere Else South West may not feature on the rolling coverage, but when you've walked every street five times, know exactly the times when you can get into the controlled-entry block of flats just off the high street, and know what a Tory or Liberal will do to the place you love, it must be heartbreaking.

Particular commiserations to:
Lola, Bex and everyone in Hornsey - in losing Babs we've lost a real advocate for equality in the commons, despite her silly equivocations on top-up fees;
Chris, Josh, Carli and everyone in Bethnal Green, who've slogged for months;
Twiggy, who was a fabulous education minister and another one who really gave a fuck about equality;
Maggie Jones in Blaenau Gwent, who stood up against the "favoured son" mentality that has excluded women from parliament for years - Peter bloody Law, a seat in the Commons isn't inherited, and you're a fucking disgrace.

And well done for great campaigns to Anneliese in Billericay (principled left campaigning in the heartland of Essex man), Kirsty who took on Simon Hughes (I know what you've been through having battled a greasy Liberal myself!), Liam in Beckenham and the lovely Mark Macdonald in Wantage. All people who I hope will find a winnable seat next time.

Oh, and I know everyone's focussing on the general election, and rightly so, but just wanted to say well done to Rae Humberstone, just elected in a bye-election as city councillor for Blackbird Leys with a majority of over 400, beating off the i-wickers. Hurrah!

And now I absolutely have to go to sleep. I've got lots of people I want to thank and lots of things that I'd like to say, but they'll keep until tomorrow.

Nearly there...

As I look at the clock, there's 7 hours until the polls open and 22 until they close.

Just a quick note to say good luck to all the Labour activists and candidates around the country. No more evil biting letterboxes soon - and what is it with the people that put their letterboxes at ankle level?! - dust off those Reading pads and rosettes and prepare to do battle with polling station staff who somehow have an even worse opinion of political activists than most voters.

Wanted to mention the lovely note I got earlier today from an older party member in North Oxford :"GOOD LUCK ANTONIA for May 5th, from Christopher McCready. Proud to be displaying your poster. Proud to vote for a socialist candidate. Proud of my 53 years in the party. And proud to have done over 900 leaflet deliveries for this election!" Certainly one to add to my gallery of moments I'll never forget from the last few weeks.

International Workers' Day

Here are some photos from the International Workers' Day rally and demonstration yesterday in Bonn Square:

Hustings - various

So, tonight was the final hustings of the campaign, at St Aldate's Church in Oxford. A huge church, recently refurbished to give a much more flexible internal space, with a huge congregation of students and locals.

I was slightly more anxious about speaking there than at some of the previous venues, as there were so many people, and as a feminist and not a Christian, I wasn't sure quite how I'd go down with them. And sure enough, they weren't particularly impressed by my properly pro-choice stance - though I will keep making the point to pro-life audiences that if they want fewer abortions, they need to support better sex education and better access to contraception. One of the audience had a real go at Gordon Brown's record as chancellor - and I got a sharp inhalation of breath from them by answering that I hoped to shake his hand as he carries on his excellent work as chancellor and hopefully as prime minister in the future - like it's something surprising that GB fancies the top job!

Evan was on his usual smarmy form tonight - indulging in his current mania for removing things from democratic control - tonight it was regulatory impact assessments and information about the number of asylum seekers. He also talked with pride about forming alliances with pro-lifers to press for a debate on abortion and with the Christian Institute (homophobic lobbyists) to oppose the proposed incitement to religious hatred law. Odd company for a self-proclaimed progressive, really.

Apart from this, today's been a bit of a disaster, really. My little brother had his 18th birthday party last night, so had to make a trip to south London to celebrate with him - well, election or no election, little brothers are only 18 once. But then this morning the M25 was closed near where my family live, and once we'd done a huge detour across half of south London, it was getting towards lunchtime. Add traffic, contraflows and roadworks and the car breaking down, and you'll have some idea of my day! Oh well - at least there's the bright spot that the final week's team are starting to arrive - the lovely Shannon came today, and we've got her full-time until Friday, which is excellent.