Out for the count

12:31pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

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Even for those who are not overly interested in politics, there is something dramatic and exciting about sitting up through the night, watching David Dimbleby and his colleagues play with graphs, catch out politicians and announce election results live from far flung corners of the country.

But in Hertsmere the revelation of who had won and who had lost at last Thursday's borough council elections was an altogether more sedate affair. With counting starting some 12 hours after the polls had closed, at 10am on Friday, a good night's sleep appeared to have done away with much of the adrenalin which usually pumps through the counting hall. The first interested party to make a prediction in the morning sunshine was Sam Russell, Labour's parliamentary candidate for the next general election. He reported that only around 150 votes had been cast in Borehamwood's Cowley Hill ward in the entire first 12 hours of voting - hardly an auspicious start - and said early indications suggested that, along with Brookmeadow, the ward's result would be particularly tight. As the ballot papers began to tumble out of their boxes, one candidate was more fearful than most. "It's been a disaster of my own making," said Socialist Labour candidate Jim Dry. After accidentally spelling 'borough' wrong on his campaign leaflet, he believed he had blown his chance of picking up a decent number of votes. He should not have worried. With 224 votes he performed more admirably than the Liberal Democrats' only Borehamwood candidate, Gavin Whenman, who could only muster 220 in Hillside ward. The fact Mr Whenman was not at the count suggests he may have foreseen how his candidature would end. He later wrote on his blog: "Ouch. Don't pull your punches will you Borehamwood." Quite. Rarely could the one police constable and one PCSO who wandered around the hall have had so little to do. Results came in dribs and drabs, and the whole event brought up thoughts of a Women's Institute AGM rather than an emergency get-together of the Zimbabwe Election Commission. Hertsmere's Conservative MP James Clappison said "I won't count my chickens" about the possibilities of big wins for the party, but his wide grin told its own story. There was at least a show of friendliness between the two leading candidates in the Cowley Hill contest, with Labour's Ann Harrison and her Tory counterpart Farida Turner sitting side-by-side to watch the votes being counted. Mrs Turner bemoaned the difficulty of running an election campaign while also following the strict rules of the Jewish Passover festival which took place the week before the poll. The politicans' dress sense also appeared to be more relaxed than in some years, with council leader Morris Bright going without a tie and favouring the David Cameron-esque open collar shirt. His colleague Hannah David flew the flag for fashion in an above the knee Tory-blue dress. Mr Bright regularly mopped his brow, but he had no need to sweat on the result. His party came out with three extra seats, a result in line with Conservative showings across the country."I could not be more delighted," the jubilant leader announced, and with that it was all over and done with. Just 90 minutes long and without slanging matches, tight recounts or any chance of seeing the sun rise. It was not like the old days.