BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

Welcome to Political Thinking.

I'm still away at the moment, so this is an edition of the podcast

with a difference another Radio 4 documentary

not made by me this time, but by Anne McKelvoy of the Economist

working with my podcast producer, Peter Snowden.

They're telling the inside story of election 19.

Now if you're in the mood for an interview,

remember that all the back editions of the podcast

can be found on BBC Sounds.

Here though, is that documentary first aired on Radio 4,

the inside story of election 19?

All the candidates were taking to one side and were shone the figures,

and I thought, you've lost the bean, you haven't getting it.

And then I looked into their teeth and I saw 17,440,

and I thought then, wow, I've done it, this is it.

Ian Levy, the Conservative Party candidate, 17,000.

Along with other Conservative candidates here in the North East,

Ian Levy had broken through Labour's formally impregnable red wall of seats.

And the thought of Blife Valley going Tory,

well unfortunately I have to talk to you, Hugh,

or my jaw would be on the floor, it's extraordinary.

...