Shaun Ley, a presenter on the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme, the World at One, is in town today.

He drops in to my office in Nelson and, within minutes, I find myself showing him the huge bulging supersize envelope containing the Ashcroft material that I have accumulated over the years.

I have become a collector of this political memorabilia and fear I am developing a slight eccentricity that goes with such a hobby.

I use this stuff as a stage prop to make my point. It silently speaks volumes.

Then we wander up to Pendle Rise where he interviews me against a background of gentle hubbub you get in a shopping centre.

People stop and stare. Some tune in.

I don’t know how much of this will survive the inevitable editing. One minute maybe?

A minute, I muse, is a long time in politics.

His piece on the General Election in Lancashire is to be broadcast tomorrow (Wednesday 14 April).