Polls Apart Read Online Free

chair to look directly at the man seated next to him – his boss. “I’m at a loss, Richard. We keep ending up in the same place and nothing or no one seems to be able to rein her in.”
    “Well, we could start with your wife, Henry, if we’re going to get personal.” Richard clasped his hands together and leant forwards to show poise – something that was essential in trying to gain the political upper hand. His old friend and head of communications was beginning to rise above his station and Richard knew the rest of the shadow cabinet were baying for him to be brought under control. “Joy is supposed to be Anna’s PR advisor, yet she continues to preside over one public-relations disaster after another. So perhaps you should be directing the criticism closer to home, Henry.”
    “Might I make a point?” Ray Molsley’s thick Cockney accent always commanded silence from an audience, an attribute that, along with his portly frame and no-nonsense manner, ensured even the least tameable MP s found it hard to refuse his orders when they were cornered. “Anna has her own successful career and isn’t the least bit bothered about being the wife of a Prime Minister.”
    “And?” asked Richard.
    “And I just wonder if we gave her an incentive to become more involved with the campaign, whether that might just make the difference?” Ray rested smugly back into his seat and watched as the pennies dropped around him. At fifty-eight, he’d been in the game of politics long enough to tell a winning idea from a lame one – and he had a reputation for backing political winners.
    “What kind of incentive did you have in mind Ray?” Henry enquired nonchalantly, briefly glancing at the clock to indicate time was at a premium.
    “She happened to mention to me one evening that she had always wanted to work with the director Don Monteith but, although her agent had put her forwards many times for roles in his films, he had never once even as much as asked her to audition. It ‘eats away at her’ she said.” Ray dramatically raised his right eyebrow to emphasise his point.
    “What are you getting at Ray?” Sandra piped up with typical forthrightness. She had been a loyal friend and follower of Richard’s for several years and always jumped to his defence. As an attractive woman in her early-forties, Sandra had managed to intimidate most of the predominantly male shadow cabinet, but Ray’s thick skin and enormous ego meant he was scared of no one and so he continued unabated.
    “Don Monteith has just today become a major supporter of the Social Democratic Party , which he has vowed he will help win the next general election in any way he can.”
    “Why the hell didn’t you mention this earlier?” snapped Henry.
    “I’ve only just got the chance. But it’s turning out to be a real coup. He’s prepared to do a press conference, and he’s up for appearing alongside Richard at a couple of campaign events.”
    “That’s fantastic news,” Richard beamed. “At last something to celebrate.”
    “Indeed,” said Ray, pausing further to bask in the glory of his idea. “I like to think I was pretty instrumental in getting him on board…” Sandra interrupted his blatant gloating with a loud groan, prompting Ray to cut to the chase. “And I think Anna will be quite excited about the idea of getting behind this campaign now don’t you think? She can have special responsibility for hosting Don on the campaign trail.”
    “You’re smarter than you look Ray,” chuckled Richard.
    “Bloody smug with it though,” joked Henry, winning collective laughter from around the table.
    “Come in here a minute will you, Marie?” Damian barked into the telephone receiver before slamming it back into the cradle. He looked once again over the small piece of notepaper gripped in his hands, bearing only a name and telephone number. He carefully placed it down on the desk in front of him and continued to pore over it as he weighed