The demand for nose pegs is growing by the day and with each request for a peg comes a long cry of pain about why voting Labour this time is so difficult and yet so necessary. (Though not necessary for those voting in a seat where the Lib Dems are the main challenger to the Tories).
Hurricanes of anger blow in, with a powerful wish to send a message to Tony Blair. About the war, about anti-terror laws, about children committing suicide in prison, about a sense that civil liberties are being eroded, about PFIs and top-up fees, about the need to speed up progressive taxing and spending ... and a host of other things. Governments of the left are destined to disappoint, but the war has taken this inevitable mood to something well beyond mere disillusion.
But sending a message to Tony Blair - or "giving him a bloody nose" as Brian Sedgemore puts it - would mean sending a very satisfying comfort greeting to Michael Howard. Many nose-peg requesters say they can't bear the thought that a big drop in Labour seats means Michael Howard's disgusting campaign goes down in history as a success. It would make it something the Tories should try again next time, maybe with an even more extreme anti-immigrant message. "Which bit of 'send them back' don't you understand, Mr Blair?" reads a Tory leaflet by a candidate endorsed by Michael Howard. "We have to send the Tories a loud message: Britain is not racist and elections must never again be fought on trying to stir up racism," writes one nose-pegger.
But the frustration is powerful. Of course none of this should be necessary and if we had a proportional representation system, then everyone could vote for a party closer to their taste. After the election we should be out campaigning for proportional representation so no nose-peg voting ever happens again.
But in the meantime, the Guardian is asking everyone who goes to vote with a nose peg on to take a picture of themselves. We promise to publish every single one of them. So send off for your peg now to nosepegs@guardian.co.uk and take a picture of yourself. Email the pictures to the same address.
There is a political point to this: if Tony Blair wins, it will be a strong reminder of how many voted Labour despite their passionate opposition to the war. It will be a reminder that many people voted Labour knowing Tony Blair would not stay long. And it will be a reminder to the great champion of "choice" that we must never again have an election with no choice.
