Generally, when people find out what I do for a living, they ask if I’ve ever met anyone “famous”. In trying to live up to expectations I list politicians who I think might fit the bill, only to be told that they were hoping for someone “a bit more exciting”.

Usually the conversation drifts into something else at this point, but something has shifted in the last few weeks. Now the most common question people ask when they discover I spend my days following politicians around is “who should I vote for”. And speaking to my colleagues, I’m not the only one.

I’ve covered a few elections over the last couple of years and I can’t think of a time when so many people have asked who I think they should support. In the past, people have been far more willing to tell me who they’re voting for and why, alongside a list of reasons why they can’t back “the other ones”.

On Saturday, someone told me they were more concerned about the outcome this July than they had been about any other election for some time, fearing the UK will be “in a bad place” if voters don’t make the right call. Another asked me who they should back “so we don’t get it wrong again”.

This shift is particularly interesting........

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