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1The secret diary of Tom Harris, who had a dream to be Labour's Scottish leader
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3I screwed up almost from the start
4Headshot image: 
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6Tuesday 23 August
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8Switched on my phone first thing this morning to discover a voicemail from the BBC asking me to go on Good Morning Scotland to discuss my campaign to be leader. Damn! I’d forgotten the Times were going to publish a story today saying I was considering standing! Told Carolyn (my wife) I had to do an interview and asked her to keep the boys out of the living room until I’d finished. "What's it about?" she asked. "I'll tell you later."
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10When I was asked on radio why I was interested in standing, I mumbled something about trying to force Jim (Murphy) or Douglas (Alexander) into the contest. Why couldn't I just have said "Because I'd be good at it"? This afternoon the SNP issued a press release saying that I was my own third choice for leader. Ha! Thought that was quite funny, actually. Redeemed myself somewhat on Newsnicht by being more bullish.
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12Oh, and I finally got round this afternoon to mentioning to Carolyn that I might be standing as a candidate to be leader of the Scottish Labour Party. She took it better than I expected. "But you're not going to win, are you?" she asked, worriedly. "Good grief, no!" � "Well, alright, then."
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14Saturday 3 September
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16Was piling the boys into the car as we left Castlemilk Sports Centre when Johann (Lamont) called to say that she was announcing her intention today of standing. Good of her to let me know. My announcement had prompted her into making the announcement, apparently.
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18Monday 5 September
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20The first joint meeting of the MPs and MSP at John Smith House since the election. I'm so glad I added pictures of the MSPs to their contact details on my phone, because, frankly, I didn't recognise most of them! And some of them are so young! I spent most of the time surreptitiously checking their picture and name on my phone, then shaking their hands and greeting them like long lost friends. Have to say, not a lot of positivity being felt from my Holyrood brethren as far as the idea of being led by an MP is concerned.
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22Tuesday 20 September
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24My first pitch to members, North Perth and Perthshire Constituency Labour Party, to be precise. And it went well. I have to brush up on the detail of some of my policy ideas: suggesting an extension of childcare for working parents doesn't go down as well in a room full of pensioners . Who knew?
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26Saturday 25 September
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28Labour conference, Liverpool. Attempted a pincer movement on Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife. He's one of the few MSPs yet to commit to supporting any candidate and it would be fantastic if I could get him to nominate me. He seems to be a genuinely thoughtful individual and he says he's considering me. Had another word with him at the Scottish reception tonight, then left him to the charms of Gerry McGarvey, a party members who I only met through David's (Cairns) death. He's another of David's fellow former Redemptorists and a dangerous leftie who is supporting me because he thinks I might actually be able to win an election. I left the venue as Gerry gave Richard what looked like a very intense pitch. There may have been threats, I just don't know.
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30Wednesday 28 September
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32The Herald is carrying a story critical of me because I was apparently dismissive of our list MSPs in a radio interview. I had tried to emphasise how badly we did in May by pointing out that we only won 15 out of 73 first-past-the-post seats and that our total of 37 seats rather disguises our humiliation. This has not gone down well with some of my Holyrood colleagues (list MSPs, at a guess!). Good to know they're focusing on what's important.
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34Thursday 29 September
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36Tim Reid (BBC Scotland) phoned to say that Ed (Miliband) had been unable to name Ken during a post-conference interview. Fortunately he had been able to name me and (less fortunately) Johann. Did I want to make any comment? Yeah, that'll be right. As it happens I was on my way to Holyrood at the time, hoping to make a last and final pitch to MSPs to get the backing of at least one. But not a chance, as it turned out. My last hope was Hugh Henry, who I'd hoped would nominate me because he seems open-minded about someone from outside Holyrood stepping up. Had coffee with him this afternoon but he made it clear he won't nominate me. So that's that, then. Either I'm seen unanimously by every one of our 37-strong contingent as the least competent of the three declared candidates, or they're just not very enamoured of the idea of an MP doing the job. I give up! Except I won't. Yet.
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38Saturday 8 October
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40Not for the first time, and unfortunately not for the last, I'm sure, I say this: only in the Labour Party! We've known since May that Iain Gray was standing down and a new leader would have to be elected. And today I receive word that the draft timetable drawn up by the Scottish Executive Committee allows for eight "official" hustings events. And guess what? Only one of them takes place before ballot papers are sent out! It's at times like this I marvel that our result in May was so good.
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42Wednesday 12 October
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44Having a leadership campaign to worry about isn't enough, apparently, so today I had to go along to a committee room at the Commons and pick up the Boundary Commission's planned electoral map for Scotland. Always a nerve-wracking experience. At least one Scottish colleague was staring at the map, a look of calm resignation on his face. "They've abolished my seat completely," he smiled weakly as I walked passed him to pick up my own maps. Relief when I saw that virtually every bit of Glasgow South has been retained as it is, with a bit added on at the north and east. So now it's called Glasgow South East (I wonder if I could persuade them to keep it as Glasgow South?) Crucially, no other MP has a proprietorial claim on it. Although I do want to stand for Holyrood next time, I need to do so as a sitting MP, both to avoid being unemployed for a year and to improve my chances of winning back Cathcart from the SNP.
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46Saturday 29 October
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48Special one-day conference in Glasgow. This was supposed to be The Big Launch, where I would be able to make my first pitch to the whole party. As Johann and I sat on the front row waiting for the deputy candidates to finish, she said to me: "I suppose you've memorised your whole speech and won't need to use notes?" � "Actually, I've decided to express myself through the medium of dance," I replied, which sent her into a fit of giggles. Dancing would have been better than what I actually managed, it turned out. Despite all my preparation, it was my complacency that let me down. About a third of the way through a four-minute speech, I blanked! I don't know if I just panicked, and apparently it didn't look as bad as I felt it did at the time. I reached for my notes and ploughed on. But there was a lesson I'll never forget. Always have notes handy, however prepared you think you are.
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50Thursday 3 November
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52Airdrie and Shotts CLP hustings. Was really pleased with how I did tonight. Getting some very positive feedback from the audience. Gave Johann a lift home, since she lives near me. "I'm finding all this a very humbling experience," she said. "Really?" I responded. "Humbling? What does that feel like?"
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54Saturday 5 November
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56Hustings with all three leadership candidates in front of Unison's political committee, to decide who they'll nominate. If neither Ken nor Johann had shown up, I still wouldn't have got the their support, and I knew it. So maybe I could have been a tad more consensual. But anyway. Would I support the action on November 30? No problem. Would I support all and any future action? Seriously? Of course not: I�m a grown-up and I will judge for myself whether industrial action should be supported based on the case at the time. Not sure that went down too well.
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58Sunday 13 November
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60Hustings, Livingston CLP. Good, friendly meeting. Was asked about the funding gap between us and the SNP, and I drew attention to the nauseating fact that a Euromillions lottery winner was funding the SNP. Assured the meeting that if I won a similar amount - anywhere north of �150 million - I would definitely donate at least a grand to the party. "And I'm not just saying that to win votes!" Also discovered that the local MP, Graeme Morrice, is a fellow prog rock fan. These things are important.
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62Tuesday 15 November
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64Hustings at Bellshill Policy Forum. My favourite joke of the campaign so far: when Ken talked about his six kids, I suggested he only went into politics to get some peace.
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66Friday 18 November
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68The official party hustings for black and ethnic minorities, held in a primary school in Pollokshields, Glasgow. Busy. Lots of interest from the Scots Asian community, mostly Muslim but also Sikhs. It's a good thing that we organise such events, because too often people from ethnic minorities feel they don't get a fair say. So who's first to ask a question? Stuart Petrie. Ah, right.
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70Saturday 19 November
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72Youth and student hustings at John Smith House. Decided that if I'm going to "come out" as a supporter of tuition fees I might as well do it here. Ken got the predictable amount of applause you get when you say something you know the audience wants to hear, even if everyone in the room knows it's unsustainable. When I challenged him on his support for free tuition, there was a shocked murmur in the room, almost as if they were saying: "A leadership election is hardly the time or the place to have disagreements about policy!"
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74Sunday 20 November
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76Train to Aberdeen. Met Johann and Ian (Davidson) at Queen Street but we couldn't all sit together because the train was mobbed. The train was scheduled to arrive much too early for the hustings, so Malcolm (from my campaign team), who used to live in Aberdeen, recommended a fish restaurant for lunch. So Ian, Johann, Malcolm and Trish Godman (who was with Johann) and I were joined by Richard Baker (another MSP I courted assiduously to no avail) for a very pleasant lunch, which Johann paid for! Well, I would have offered if I'd got a single union to help fund my campaign.
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78The hustings was well attended and was going well until a lady stood up and started having a go at me for (a) using the St Andrew�s flag as part of my logo (This was pandering to the nationalists, apparently) and (b) having too much white space on my leaflet. Good to know we have some members with a sense of perspective.� could be wrong here, but I don't think I've won her vote. The return train was an hour and half delayed because of a broken down vehicle on the tracks ahead of us. Then my phone died on me. And I'd forgotten to bring a book. A looooong train journey.
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80Wednesday 23 November
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82In London for the first annual David Cairns Foundation dinner. What a brilliant event! Amazing turnout, and huge quantities of cash raised for charities that David supported. David Miliband gave the keynote speech and was the best I've ever heard him. Steven (Moffat, executive producer of Doctor Who) offered an auction prize of the highest bidder's name being used for a character in a future Doctor Who script. I gave the vote of thanks. I told Dermot (David's partner) that had he lived, David would either have been my campaign manager or he would have shouted at me not to be so f****** stupid. Or both, more likely.
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84Thursday 24 November
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86No hustings tonight, but to the annual dinner of the Chancellor of Glasgow University. A chance to do what every man in the world does when they put on a tux, convince themselves they look like James Bond. The guest speaker was Sir Alex Ferguson, who had a great anecdote about his former BB leader, a man who was captured by the Germans in the very first week of the war in 1939 and only managed to escape the PoW camp on the day war ended in 1945. I wanted to have a chat with the Boss afterwards but he left early. Pity: I wanted to apologise for nicking his taxi from outside the Prestonfield Hotel in Edinburgh on the night of the Politician of the Year Awards 2000.
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88Friday 25 November
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90If it's Friday it must be Inverness. A mixed bag of reactions to my presentation tonight. One councillor told me in the bar afterwards that he and his wife had voted for one of the other candidates at their constituency party's nomination meeting, but that both had decided to support me based on my performance tonight. Which is great. But another woman in the audience, who asked about the effect of Asbos on young people did not react well to my description of the little darlings as "neds". Oh well, swings and roundabouts.
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92Monday 28 November
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94To Edinburgh, where the six leadership and deputy leadership candidates addressed an audience of CWU members which barely outnumbered us. The only hustings so far where we've actually been able to shake the hand of every single person there before leaving. There's been some controversy, apparently, about some candidates using the Royal Mail's rival delivery services to send out their direct mailings. I was able to say, hand on heart, that I had not used these rival companies, mainly because I can't afford to use either company.
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96At the Glasgow hustings - probably the best attended so far, apart from Edinburgh - I felt I put on my best performance. The explanation is easy: Carolyn was in the audience for the first and only time. Basically, I was showing off for her. There was an added bonus tonight: the leadership candidates went first, and I was able to leave the venue as soon as we were finished rather than wait to listen - again! - to the deputies' presentations.
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98Tuesday 29 November
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100The most difficult audience so far: Labour MPs! Far noisier than any audience so far, but why am I surprised? A prophet is not without honour except in his home town, but I did well, I think. Opened by thanking them for arranging the event and expressing disappointment that the MSPs hadn't organised a similar event, which I would have found really useful because it would have given me the opportunity to do some shopping in Princes Street.
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102Wednesday 30 November
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104Started off by visiting local picket lines at Queen's Park and at the Victoria Infirmary. Was accompanied by young Jack Donaghy, a newish party member who's been an enthusiastic supporter of my campaign. He loved the whole "solidarity with the striking workers" schtick. "I think I missed out on the eighties," he told me as we delivered hot sausage rolls and doughnuts to grateful and cold-looking strikers. "Yeah, you did, but mostly the music, which was fantastic."
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106Thursday 1 December
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108Foolishly agreed to give Ian Davidson a lift to Dundee for the hustings, but it was rush hour and nearly an hour after picking him up we still hadn't got out of Glasgow. Belting up the A90, resigned to being about 15 minutes late, Ian receives the inevitable phone call from AnnMarie at party HQ, asking where we are. "Don't worry, we're on the outskirts of Kilmarnock, we'll be in Ayr in about ten minutes," he tells her. She is not amused.
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110Jamie Glackin, a member of the Scottish Executive, a good friend and one of my strongest and earliest supporters, was in the audience tonight. He was exuberant about my performance and said others he had spoken to had been impressed. But one person apparently said to him: "Tom was great tonight - what a pity I can't vote for him!" Good grief.
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112Friday 2 December
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114Haddington. My former Keir Hardie House colleague, Noel Foy and his wife Liz very kindly arranged a meeting of local party members tonight, to give me the chance to speak to them before they cast their votes. And it was fantastic! There have been many points in this campaign where I've been discouraged, wondered why the hell I was doing this. But these people in East Lothian were just so kind and encouraging. One even asked me, if I lose, would I want them to continue campaigning for me in case another vacancy emerges in the next few years! I was so touched by that offer, which I gently but firmly rejected: there will be no second chances for me, nor for our party, and we have to make sure that whoever wins becomes our next First Minister.
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116Saturday 3 December
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118Sod politics, this is what's important: putting up the Christmas tree, then watching The Muppet Christmas Carol. A Harris family tradition.
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120Monday 5 December
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122The Newsnicht live hustings - well, we wouldn't want to give a wider audience the chance to see us perform before people filled in their ballot papers, would we? It was a good event, in fact. The very strict structure of the party-organised hustings restrict the opportunity for candidates to challenge each other, so there was a bit more of that tonight. Someone in the audience raised the issue of Iraq. I was surprised by this, but only by the fact that it hadn't been raised before now. No point in opening up a whole argument about the rights and wrongs of the war, I decided, so responded by assuring him that as First Minister, I wouldn't invade any countries.
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124As is often the case with such events, it was all over much more quickly than I expected. And that's how I feel about the whole campaign right now. With still more than a week to go before the poll closes, the vast majority of votes will have been cast by now.
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126Thursday 6 December
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128Best start to any day ever! Alarm went off and Carolyn told me to switch it off because the schools are closed due to what passes in Scotland for a hurricane and the Scottish Government don't want a repeat of last year when a minister had to resign. Or something. And Annmarie called to say the last official hustings of the campaign, due to take place tonight in Motherwell, has been cancelled too. Which is a pity, because it was a special women's hustings, and it would have been nerve-wracking and exciting to see which of the three leadership candidates the audience might have favoured.