Read Online Polls Apart by Clare Stephen-Johnston - Free Book Online Page B

wife for political gain, which, in my mind, is sickening.”
    Davis was speaking after a new poll carried out on behalf of the Today newspaper revealed a sharp fall in support for the SDP leader in the wake of his marital separation.
    Meanwhile, it was reported in two tabloid papers that Lloyd is set to tell her side of the story in an interview with the Sunday Echo , to be published this weekend.
    Social Democrat sources admitted there was a great deal of anxiety over Lloyd’s decision to speak out. The actress is said to be both furious and deeply humiliated by Williams’ treatment of her and party officials fear that an unfavourable account of their marriage could seriously damage the Democrats’ chances of election victory next month.
    Kelvin paused momentarily to button his suit jacket before stepping out into the corridors of Number 10 where he was shortly due to carry out a meet-and-greet with charity bosses. In the few moments he had been left alone in his office he made sure, as usual before public appearances, that he combed a little more styling product through his hair. He was meticulous about his appearance and had once sacked an advisor who accompanied him on a press trip for not telling him his hair had ruffled at the back and was standing on end. For major appearances he employed the services of a grooming assistant who was allowed to apply increasing amounts of liquid concealer, powder and rouge to his face to avoid negative comments in the press about his “flamboyant lifestyle taking its toll” as they liked to describe it, much to his irritation. Being a single Prime Minister brought both unique perks and problems.
    As he stepped out into the corridors of Number 10 he was flanked, as usual, by both his press secretary, Reggie Winecroft, and PA , Vanessa Mellor. Reggie was in buoyant mood because it was he who had suggested Kelvin publicly side with Anna, and today’s poll had proved him right. “I think you should call Anna Lloyd today,” Reggie gushed.
    Kelvin chuckled at his press aide’s complete inability to suppress his campness when he got excited. Although open about his sexuality, Reggie had always tried to butch up for political life – a veneer that slipped within seconds of hearing the slightest bit of good news, at which point his hands would begin to flap and he would become breathless with the pace of his own speech.
    Kelvin weighed up Reggie’s suggestion before answering. “Don’t you think that’s taking things a bit far? This is the sort of situation in which one little error of judgment can set the whole scale of opinion tipping the other way.”
    “A personal situation needs a personal touch, Kelvin,” Reggie replied using a schoolmarmish tone. “We can keep this very low key. Just a five-minute call from you to tell her you hope she’s coping in such difficult times. We won’t send out any statements or anything; we could just offer it to Today as a leak. We owe them one after the Echo exclusive last week anyway.”
    “All right,” Kelvin sighed as they approached the reception room. His mind had already moved on to the forty or so guests he was going to have to meet and mingle with. This was most certainly the one part of the job Kelvin least liked. And opening the door to the room his heart fell further as he realised there was not a single celebrity or attractive female in sight.
    Anna thought Marie looked a good deal younger than she had sounded on the telephone the day before. Based on their brief conversation to set up a time for the interview, Anna had placed Marie in her early forties but that was based mainly on the mature tone of her voice and crisp southern English accent. She had been assertive but polite – the latter not being typical of all journalists in Anna’s experience. Standing on her sister’s doorstep, Anna could see the reporter was probably not even thirty yet, and was only a slip of a thing, her small height topped up a couple of inches