I want to thank the thousands of people who voted for me on Thursday and the hundreds who have since contacted me with warm words of support. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the messages and the deep felt loss that people are expressing.

During the election I was touched by the thousands of people who seemed to appreciate my time as the MP for Loughborough. Since the defeat on Thursday the tributes have been even stronger - somebody on my facebook site had to remind people I had not died!!

It is time now to move on. I am proud of the work I have done as a constituency MP and felt there was still so much more I could offer.

The overall election result is something I will speak about later (and certainly blog about) but now I am taking a well earned rest to spend time with a family who have been so patient for far too long. It is time to invest time with them.

As I am no longer an MP I cannot take up any more casework - that should all now be sent to our Tory MP.

I would also like to put on record my thanks to the team of staff in Loughborough and London. For many they will have been the first point of contact and they too will be made redundant in the next few days. I am sure you would like to pass on your appreciation too.

I will continue a wide range of voluntary Leicestershire roles I hold and will be looking to do charity work - so I will not be disappearing - just moving away from front line politics for a while.

It is also important to note that the Tory MP is now defending a slim 3000 majority. I know from experience that this is all too easy to slip away. I am sure the Labour Party locally will be holding her to account and scrutinising every move. If Limehurst is threatened with closure and an Incinerator given the go-ahead this year we know who to blame. Cuts in Surestart and educaiton and health will not go unpunished."

Today is polling Day and here in Loughborough there is a straight fight between Labour and the Tories.

You are electing the person you want to represent the constituecy in Parliament - a Parliament that looks like it will be hung if the polls are right.

It is a clear chocie - a hard working local MP who is highly regarded even by his opponents. The Tory candidate describes him as a good MP as does the Lib Dem candidate - so why change? Why risk losing a good local MP willing to speak up and represent us in Westminster?

That is the choice today. A proven track record of hard work and integrity v a Tory Solicitor fromLondon who only came to Loughborough after fighting other seats because she only wants to be an MP & nothing else. Loughborough is being used as her ticket to Westminster. It won't be her main place to live she will continue to 'visit' our constituency. Don't let it happen. It is in your hands today.

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Despite attempts to hide the true nature of their plans the Independent body the IFS has confirmed what we knew all along - Tax Credits for hard working middle income families are facing cuts under Tory plans.

“The IFS criticised David Cameron’s claims on tax credits as 'incomplete at best and misleading at worst'. As he well knows, the facts show that to raise the £400 millions he’s pledged, he will be taking tax credits from families on total household incomes of £31,000 – not £50,000 as he has tried to claim. That’s a family of two earners on £16,000 each. Contrary to what David Cameron thinks, these people are not well off. With four days to go before the election, he’s got to admit that 1.3 million households on modest and middle incomes will lose up to £10 a week if he gets into office.”

Andy Reed said: "I find on the doorstep that families like this are sruggling to make ends meet. You can't just take money off them as the Tories do without it having a massive impact on their quality of life.

"What has been worse is the Tories attempts to pretend this is all a Labour scare. Like so many of their policies they don't want you to know the facts and consequences. They want to hide behind a David Cameron Smile and a vague slogan"

http://www2.labour.org.uk/cameron-hiding-true-impact-of-child-tax-credit-cuts,2010-05-03

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was today joined by Olympic stars of the future at Loughborough University, one of the UK's leading sports science institutions, to launch Labour's Sports Manifesto. It explains Labour's plans for a golden decade of sport in Britain, and for young people. To view a full copy of the manifesto.

The manifesto sets out guarantees of 5 hours a week of competitive sport for all under-19s in full time educat ion as well as the creation of a national network of 3,000 Olympic after-school Sports Clubs for teenagers by 2011. Other measures in the manifesto include 10,000 new Volunteer Coaches by 2012 and more free swimming sessions for children and the over-60s.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:

"Right across this country when people mention the word sport, they mention Loughborough. The Sports Manifesto we are launching today, explains our commitment to sport and our polices for the future. We have already delivered a major increase in investment in school sport, and 90 per cent of children are taking part in 2 hours PE per week. In the future we will build on this foundation and make the next ten years a truly golden decade for UK sport."

The encouragement of sporting activity is also a key component of Labour's drive to improve public health.

Andy Reed said "Loughborough is the obvious choice to launch a sports manifesto. We can see at every level our commitment to sport here - from the elite to schools sport and physical activity.

"I was delighted Gordon recognises the importance of Loughborough and what we do here. I think he has left in no doubt about our world class facilities and athletes.

http://www2.labour.org.uk/labour-launches-sports-manifesto-at-loughborough-university,2010-04-30

http://insidethegames.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9529:brown-promises-more-medals-for-britain-at-london-2012-if-re-elected&catid=84:london-2012-news&Itemid=89

Candidates for the Loughborough constituency were on Radio Leiecster Quesiton time today - after recording in Loughborough Town Hall last night.

Questions from floating voters included AstraZeneca, The Tory County Council disasterous handing of the schools rebuilding programme, health service targets, freedom of speech and connecintg with first time voters. Ben Jackson also asked about Mrs Duffy and if we felt it was important to be a genuinely local representative.

You can listen to the answers on BBC iPlayer: Tony Wadsworth Programme Thursday 29th April 2010!

To listen 'as live' follow the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8631000/8631718.stm

New laws welcomed by local residents to protect residential areas from being overwhelmed by Houses in Multiple Occupation, have been opposed by David Cameron and the Tories in Parliament.

The Use Class Orders, which I have campaigned for 5-6 years to achieve with local residents, has come into force at the end of the Parliament session. The UCOs - which require planning permission to change the use of a residential property into an HMO - was widely welcomed by residents in Loughborough and the Council.

However, at the end of March David Cameron and the Tories put down a motion in Parliament to block the move.

Andy Reed said "This shows where the Tories priorities lie. They have abandoned the hard work done by residents to get this law changed. I have worked hard to get Ministers to change the law. Indeed we have had 3 Ministers visit SARG to see how this could be implemented. I am sure residents will feel let down and used by the Tories locally by this tactic."

The tabled motion reads:

Today we launched Labour’s manifesto for the East Midlands. Loughborough campaign team joined Labour candidates and members from across the region to hear Ed Balls give a speech about Labour’s record and plans for the future.

Ed set out a powerful vision for the East Midlands as a region of industrial strength, creating future prosperity and good quality jobs for all. He talked about the improvements we’ve already made in the NHS and local schools, and how we’ll make more changes in the years ahead. This includes a guarantee that patients will see a cancer specialist within 2 weeks, and get their test results back within a week, a promise of one-to-one tuition for children who are falling behind in primary schools and early in secondary schools, and a guarantee of an education or training place for every child up to the age of 18.

Andy Reed said "This is an important manifesto as it recognises the regional differences we need to see in government. Our region needs continued economic regeneration and this manifesto puts the securing of the recovery at its heart.

On Monday, Labour set out our manifesto. We put forward a programme that will empower the people who use and pay for public services: patients and parents.

On Tuesday, the Tories set out their manifesto. They talked a great deal about empowerment. But look at the detail of what they are proposing and you can see that the Tories are more interested in abandonment than they are in empowerment.

Peter Mandelson, Labour’s Business Secretary said:

“Today we’re here to talk about Labour empowerment. And Tory abandonment.

“Let’s make no mistake; reformed public services need to be fully accountable. They need to give parents and patients real choice. And they need to provide guaranteed standards of personal service.

“But people need Government to ensure these things happen. With proper funding and clear guarantees of standards to secure the personal service people deserve.

“The public should look at schools and the NHS as they would be with Labour. Then in contrast take a long hard look at the impact Tory policy would have on these plans.

“Because the consequences of Mr Cameron’s manifesto for the public is that if you are there for him – he won’t be there for you.”