In Birmingham, with microphones, Mandelson and Mein Kampf

Peter Mandelson just purred past our edit van at Birmingham University in an electric car saying something about being “warm as toast”.

Given the front page of The Sun today a word you might avoid. Gordon Brown had to be reminded a moment ago to take off his radio microphone. A technician, it seems, took mercy on him.

Workers I met at a Halesowen factory earlier said they felt sympathy for Gordon Brown after his Rochdale troubles.

Labour students I met here at Birmingham University still think their party will come second not third. And Gordon Brown’s team is saying tonight is not the last moment to switch voters… this is genuinely a pencil hovering over the ballot paper election and it runs to the wire.

Wandering round Birmingham University I saw a presentation case on the papers of the Chamberlain political dynasty which the university has. And here is Neville Chamberlain’s personal copy of Mein Kampf – you can see in this photo the word “Jews” written in Chamberlain’s hand in the margin.