Mrs Baston, a nurse, called her son and "blubbed" down the phone his results were clear.

BBC: Alex Baston relaxing at home

Joanna Baston admitted waiting for the phone call from Alex's consultant was "horrendous".

BBC: Alex Baston relaxing at home

Politico's Guide to the General Election 2005 (Politico's), by Simon Henig and Lewis Baston, contains constituency profiles of the 200 most marginal constituencies.

ECONOMIST: New books to help you make sense out of the nonsense

Ros Baston, formerly of the Electoral Commission and an expert in election law, said the government's campaign, party databases and the time of year would all be essential in influencing voters.

BBC: PCC elections: Getting people to the polls