As we head into the last 72 hours of the campaign there is still so much to play for here in Loughborough.

This has been one of the most amazing elections I have been involved with. Usually by this stage you know what is likely to happen on Thursday. I don't know the exact result but I have been able to tell within about 500 votes how it will look in the past. This is not the case this time. I know we are neck and neck (a few votes ahead) with the Tories with the Lib Dems back in a poor third place with the minor parties picking up a small sprinkling of support. But it is the one third of people who are yet to make up their mind that will decide who the MP is on Friday morning.

However, I have never seen such personal enthusiasm for my campaign. People are coming out of their doors to wish me luck and to take posters. I have not seen that in 2001 and 2005. There is a realisation that being a marginal seat there is a possibility that Loughborough could end up on Friday with a Tory MP and not me. That certainly seems to be concentrating minds.

You would think from the media that there is no connection between MPs and their constituents. I think they are wrong. I know we have identified 2000 'personal votes' in the last few weeks. From the number of people offering unsolicited support and telling positive Andy Reed stories I am know there will be more. Fear of losing a good hard working MP is concentrating minds.

So I am now more confident that I can still win Loughborough. It is down to those who have still to make up their mind. They will decide.

As most people know I am passionate about volunteering. As well as doing it myself in various guises I am keen to make it as easy for others to do. It is a win-win for us all.

It is the same for our political parties. In Loughborough we have no paid party workers. Everything that comes through your doors is delivered by your neighbours. Those 35,000 telephone calls and knocks on the door around the constituency in the last year - they are all your neighbours who have given up their free time to volunteer for a political party. They get nothing back. No expenses. No rewards - just the hope of a Labour victory and the real fear they have of letting the Tories back in.

So you can understand why I am so pleased to see so many more volunteers at this election than at any time in the past. It is a wonderful sight for any voluntary organisation. Everywhere I go people are coming up to me to ask how they can help.

I get stopped in the street with more positive messages of personal support than I had even in the 1997 landslide. People ask for leaflets, they ask to help and hey take posters.

We even have the biggest Student Labour Club than at any time in recent history. I will be shocked if turnout is not increased this time.

But most of all I want to say a big THANK YOU to the hundreds of volunteers who have given their time to this election. With no paid staff we have more than matched the Tory millionaires! I am proud of you all.

So whilst all the focus in the media has been on the TV and Leaders debates spare a thought that the ground war is where it is really happening and that is nothing more than hard working unpaid volunteers!