Smaller parties but same scale of scrutiny
Just finished what is likely to be our last before the election is called, but it's over to you now Prime Minister to fire the starting gun.
That could happen as early as this week, though he may wait till after the Easter weekend.
Of course, the main focus in the campaign in our part of the world will be on the three parties with MPs here - Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative.
But the smaller parties are likely to feature more prominently in 2010 than they did in the past.
They have picked up support over the years, and the expenses scandal may lead more people to consider voting for the Greens, UKIP or the BNP.
That's why we'll be looking closely at them during the campaign, but why we've also conducted interviews with their representatives over the last few programmes.
Those interviews have been quite tough, but I make no apology for that.
If the smaller parties are going to offer themselves as an alternative, then they should be expected to be held to account in the same way as we do with Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative politicians.
Even if logic suggests they won't be forming a government, their policies need to be scrutinised if they're going to ask people to vote for them.
And of course their record of serving where there is one to study (We do now have BNP and UKIP MEPs in the region to scrutinise as well as UKIP and Green councillors).
We will continue to do that throughout the campaign so people can hear what these parties have to say, and make a judgement.
Occasionally these interviews do turn up things I didn't know.
Today was the turn of BNP Deputy Leader Simon Darby.
He revealed that Nick Griffin will be standing down as an MEP for the North West (which includes Cumbria) if he wins a Westminster seat in Barking and Dagenham.
And he'll be automatically replaced by the number two on the BNP Euro-election list from last year - Martin Wingfield (though he is also standing as a parliamentary candidate in Workington).
As he rightly pointed out to me, under European election rules there will be no need for a further poll.
The Moss Week:
Watching: Synth Britannia. ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳4 programme about the emergence of the likes of electronic acts like the Human League and Gary Numan in the late '70s and early '80s. Took me back!
Listening to: Felt inspired to put on a bit of Depeche Mode. Their greatest hits from the early 80s. Everything Counts in large amounts!
In awe of: The video journalists fm the prepared to risk their lives to bring footage out of the country. Their bravery and commitment to the truth can be seen in . Puts the job in perspective!
I'm Richard Moss, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
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