Norwich North - tune in for Georgeous

Don't wait up late tonight for the Norwich North by-election result, there is going to be no overnight count.The votes will be totted up on Friday morning and the result will be declared about 2pm.

It looks like a for gone conclusion anyway but it might be worth keeping the television on for Question Time which comes from Norwich, as it happens, with George Galloway making an appearance.

Just bumped into Mr Galloway, en familie, in the Commons where he was collecting his thoughts for the evening bout. He promised not to be too hard on Shirley Williams this evening but would not spare Geoff Hoon. In the sharp sword skills department he has Clive James to contend with.

Galloway will stand down as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow at the next election. He says its a rare example of a politician keeping a pre-election promise - he said he would stand only once in the seat - but the Respect alliance he forged there has fallen apart to a large degree.

He's going to try his luck next door in Poplar and Canning Town, held for Labour by fellow Scot Jim Fitzpatrick.

"It will be two Scots fighting for an East London seat, one standing in the tradition of Keir Hardie the other in the tradition of Ramsay MacDonald," declared Galloway. There, the sketch writers can have that one for free come election time.