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Baby boom

• Mark Devenport
• 22 Feb 07, 11:33 AM

Babies normally play a vital role in election campaigns as they are the only people who don't object to being hugged by politicians. Politics producer Robin Sheeran is just away to an event organised by the early years group NIPPA, which promises to have 18 babies on hand - presumably one for every constituency. Our lobby groups are doing their best to make their presence felt during this campaign. Gareth Gordon is intending to go to a manufacturers' group debate today. The RSPB are launching an environmental manifesto later this week and the integrated education council, NICIE, has a debate planned for next week.

Another interest group keen to get its message across is the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, which tells me it has set up a special election website

I see the site has recent comments from Michael Wardlow of NICIE and the PUP leader Dawn Purvis. Incidentally I've just seen a video of the PUP election broadcast which is due on terrestrial TV tomorrow. What do you do when your main vote winner has just tragically passed away? The PUP broadcast is interesting because it features David Ervine as an inspiration for Dawn Purvis's political journey. Best line "it takes a David not a Goliath party...."

I'm off in search of Gerry Adams all day today, which means the ever industrious Mr Gordon gets my favourite slot chatting over Ian Knox's cartoons on Hearts and Minds. He gets all the best gigs.