I want to publically (in a fashion) thank Andrew Smith for being a good MP during the four years I have lived in this constituency, for replying to my letters, raising questions with his party's government and on occassion voing against them on matters of principle. In an ideal world, he'd have a safe seat and someone pointless like Blears would be losing her seat tomorrow. This is not, however, the way of the world, which is unfortunate because tomorrow I will be voting Liberal Democrat in the hope that this marginal seat changes hands.

I voted Lib Dem last time, and I guess they are my default position for most elections. Of course, they do not speak to my views exactly, so I do try to find a reason to support them more than any other party. In some cases, they don't go far enough (immigration, nuclear disarmament), and on others I just disagree (tuition fees, vocational training). However, of the three main parties, they are the only ones who I would trust to make expenditure cuts in the fairest possible way, to impose and cut taxes and to regulate our banks. They are strongest on civil liberties and have the track record to back it up. They share my progressive views on drugs and on crime, and have the longest standing environmental credentials.

Most importantly, however, I genuinely believe we have a chance, tomorrow, to forever change our electoral system. The more votes for the Lib Dems, the greater the imbalance in our first-past-the-post system will seem, the more unfair it will appear, the stronger the case for reform will be. I'm so tired of hearing how a vote for anyone other than Labour or the Conservatives is a wasted vote. If tomorrow marks the start of a long-overdue reform, no vote will ever be considered wasted again.

By the way, none of this is intended to influence anyone's vote, as if I had that power anyway. I just like recording things like this. I think it will be interesting to re-read them in thirty years time. However, I would echo Stephen Fry's call earlier to thoroughly consider the merits of re-electing Dr Evan Harris if you live in the other Oxford constituency. It is a tragedy that his intellect and uncompromising principles are an exception, rather than the rule.