Sam Cam in town

The importance of the Warwick and Leamington constituency to the Conservatives has been demonstrated by a number of visits by top Tories. But today Conservative candidate Chris White topped it off with a belated birthday present with a visit by Samantha Cameron. Sam visited allotments in Whitnash, a crucial swing area.

In the last of our candidate profiles, we will be looking at Chris White in the next day or two.

Sam Cam is pregnant

The battle of the wives in the run up to the general election took a new turn tonight with the news that Dave Cameron's wife Samantha is pregnant: Sam If Dave wins the election, a child could be born to a Downing Street family for the first time since Cherie Blair had Leo ten years ago. It's quite a change from the days of the cuckolded Harold Macmillan with his prostate problems.

The news gives a more savoury turn to the 'leaders' wives' dimension of the election after it was revealed that 'alluring' pictures of Sam undertaking a modelling assignment over ten years ago were being hawked at a starting price of 25k.

One of the ways in which Dave Cameron appeals to key women voters is a 'family man'. Judgements about the leader are now a key element in voters' decisions and that extends to his wife and family.

Tories unleash secret weapon

The Conservatives regard Samantha Cameron as a secret weapon they can unleash in the run up to the general election and she has given an interview in which she talks about Dave's irritating habits: Samantha This is evidently all good populist stuff as Radio 5 picked 'irritating habits' as their text theme this morning.

Various reports have suggested that Sam is not all that keen on politics and there have even been claims that she might have voted for New Labour in the past. Private Eye mocks her as Lady Veronica Starbogling in line with their 'toffs' theme, but she comes across as a modern and personable woman.

It all helps to humanise Dave and present him as something else than a 'Tory toff'. Mind you, Sarah Brown is no slouch either. Whoever wins we hopefully won't go back to the days when Cheri Blair regarded herself as First Lady.