Political editor at News, Beth Rigby, woke up as usual on Thursday, July 4, and thanks to Diet Coke, sushi, and her lucky red lipstick, she made it until 2.30 the following day.
In this article, she describes what went on behind closed doors throughout the six-week campaign.
I was going to have to inform my daughter that I couldn’t go camping with her next week. This was my initial thought upon learning that an election had been called. I was quite sorry about that, because I hate disappointing my children.
Next comes the huge adjustment of “okay, my life is written off for the next six weeks” when the fact that you are about to launch the campaign finally hits in. You travel inside a tunnel and are unable to turn off, which affects the pledges you’ve made to your loved ones. You put in endless hours at work. In politics, it’s rare to have an off button; during an election, you’re constantly on.
For political journalists, the campaign is like the Olympics: your goal is to take home the gold. We all train for this moment, which offers you the ability to put yourself to the test and exceed your personal boundaries. Securing a victory at the end of the day is very fulfilling.
