* Nobody in politics can doubt the power of the baseball cap - William Hague’s leadership of the Conservative Party never recovered from his disastrous outing wearing one in 2001.

Yet with Britain on the verge of a General Election, Jack Straw bravely ventured into similar territory.

Here he is on a visit to Blackburn’s Heena Fashions, modelling the firm’s World Cup range.

* No expense has been spared with the BNP’s leaflets in Burnley.

A black marker has been used to draw a line through the words “Crawley Borough Council” on Gannow candidate Derek Dawson’s fliers.

* Departed Burnley MP Kitty Ussher, who has barely featured in Labour’s campaign, made one final bid for the limelight.

As Chancellor Alistair Darling’s trip to the town’s university centre was drawing to a close, the former Treasury Minister sent a text message to a Labour activist who was in the visiting party.

“Kitty says to tell you she got the university here”, the woman reported.

“I will note that”, replied the Chancellor.

* Independent candidate Bushra Irfan has been a prominent feature of the election race in Blackburn - but she could have been standing for the Liberal Democrats in Sheffield.

The former solicitor, who appears as the face of the Statue of Liberty in her literature, was originally selected as the party’s candidate for Sheffield South, near that of leader Nick Clegg.

* Bobby Anwar is hoping to enter Parliament as the UKIP candidate for Blackburn - but he is already a Lord.

The 29-year-old was bought a plot of land in the Kincavel Estate in Scotland, entitling him to call himself Laird, the Scottish equivalent of Lord, by a friend.

“I had been up there when I was little”, he recalls, explaining why he uses the title on his business cards.

* My big hitter visits league table has ended in an unsatisfying tie between Labour and Conservative, who each gave us six front-benchers.

The Tories could snatch it if shadow home secretary Chris Grayling, who has made two visits to East Lancashire, is counted twice.

The Lib Dems are adrift on two.