[INSERT naff line about Zac Goldsmith insisting you won’t find him parroting the party line]

MAYORAL candidate Zac Goldsmith returned to Camden on Saturday to deliver a rousing soapbox speech to supporters in Belsize Square on Saturday. It’s not the first time his campaign trail has wound up in NW3 and wards which are already controlled by the Conservatives for a key weekend slot.

But for the same reason that Labour are pounding the streets in neighbourhoods which they already lead in, like Kentish Town and Somers Town, ahead of the City Hall elections in May, Zac and the Tories are out trying to reinforce support in its own strongholds. Both sides know this election is as much about getting their own vote out, as it is attracting new support. Days like this are aimed at ensuring there is no wavering or lethargy from people on their databases and clipboards marked down as likely supporters. It’s the kind of gee-up visit which the Tories may well have benefited from in Hampstead and Kilburn ahead of last year’s general election when the big name Conservative players stayed away despite the apparent marginal nature of their battle with Labour’s Tulip Siddiq.