Polls Apart by Clare Stephen-Johnston Read Free Book Online Page A

caught his eye, Henry nodded twice – their code for “time to get a move on” – and watched the opposition leader skilfully round up his brief chat with those assembled in the main lecture hall. But just as Henry started to relax into their plan, he was soon filled with horror as he realised he’d forgotten to call Anna to tell her what was happening. If he didn’t call her now, she’d have to find out from the TV news. He reached for his mobile and shook it in frustration when he realised there was no signal in the hall. He thought about quickly running out into the street, but he knew he would panic Richard if he did and cause them to miss their all-important time slot. It was a harsh decision, even by his own standards, but he’d just have to abandon the call to Anna. After all, he reasoned, she’d brought this situation on herself – and, worse, the party.
    Richard was by Henry’s side now as they made their way to the front door of the college, flanked by security and the ever-increasing team of press officers and aides who now accompanied the two men on each outing.
    “How did Anna take the news?” Richard asked, his eyes bulging slightly with the pressure of what lay before him.
    “Everything’s fine, Richard. Let’s focus on your speech and we’ll talk afterwards.”
    Henry heard Richard’s sharp intake of breath when they reached the doors of the college and were confronted by a sea of press all keenly waiting for an update on the state of his marriage.
    “You’ll be fine,” Henry whispered. “Just stick to the wording we agreed and don’t take questions.”
    Richard executed a well-practised “I’m in control” smile as he reached the podium at the top of the college steps. He cleared his throat before leaning in to the microphone.
    “Bristol College can be proud of its place as a centre for educational excellence; an achievement that was reflected in the enthusiasm of all the staff and students I met here this morning,” he began.
    “Every child and young person deserves the very best education but, sadly, still all too few will be privileged enough to benefit from state-of-the-art facilities such as the ones I have seen here today.”
    Richard remembered his speech training and deliberately slowed his next line down to accentuate every word. “It is my desire to change that. And it is my desire to make sure that every single child who has a career ambition will be given the very best chance of achieving it.”
    Richard paused for a moment, allowing his message to sink in with those watching and listening. He looked around the wall of cameras in front of him, hoping to make eye contact with every single viewer before he ventured further. Both he and Henry knew how important it was that they trusted him right now.
    “We cannot… will not, be distracted from our goals. Britain needs the Social Democratic Party and I will not stop until we deliver the very best for the people of this country. There will be challenges along the way – and there will be those who try to throw me off course. I spoke with my wife Anna this morning. She has been deeply hurt by the recent allegations thrown at her but she knows too that we cannot let such gossip stand in our way. She has decided today that she would like to withdraw from the glare of the cameras for the next few weeks, during which time I will be one hundred per cent focused on the task in hand. The task of renewal, of courage and of victory. I thank you.”
    Anna continued to stare into the screen long after she had turned the picture off. Her mind spun like cherries on a fruit machine as she tried to sort through what Richard’s statement actually meant for their marriage. By the time her thoughts had settled she was clear on the answer: she had just been dumped on national TV without even a hint of prior warning. Six years of marriage thrown away in an instant – all to save Richard’s face. She had thought when they’d talked things