IT is mid morning at the campaign headquarters of Stephen Timms, Labour's candidate in East Ham, a largely Asian populated constituency in east London.
Over a cup of tea, Chris, one of Stephen's campaign staff, explains she has already dealt with two immigration inquiries, a housing problem, and a possible flashpoint between an Asian and a white family outside a local school.
Next in is Paul, an Asian law student who is offering to help during the election campaign.
"So, are you going to be a Minister?" he laughs. One can see Stephen mustering all the modesty he can. It's a struggle, but he says, "Oh, I hope so, not immediately after the election, but one day."
East Ham has long been associated with the Labour Party. Stephen Timms won the seat formerly Newham North East, in a by election in 1994 with a 16.6 per cent swing to Labour. It has been solid Labour territory since the 1950s. The population of East Ham is 30 per cent Asian.
Important shifts have occurred in the pattern of ethnic minority votes between the last two elections. The Conservative obtained 17 per cent of ethnic minority votes in 1987 but this dropped to 10 per cent in 1992. In 1987, Labour gained 73 per cent of the ethnic vote compared with 79 per cent in 1992 and the Liberal Democrats share increased from 6 per cent in 1987 to 9 per cent in 1992.
The Conservative vote among these communities has dropped right across the board from 15 per cent to 11 per cent between the last two elections.
In East Ham, Mr Timms says he is concerned to assure his constituents, many of whom have family members seeking asylum, that Labour will consider relaxing areas of the asylum Bill which have prevented several Asian and Sri Lankan men from bringing their wives and families into Britain.
Samir, a local businessman, says he will be voting Labour along with many of the owners of small businesses in Katherine Road. "The past is always in you mind about the poll tax and what Thatcher did. That still reflects on Major."
Across the constituency, in Cotswold Gardens, the Conservative candidate, Angie Bray, is pushing Tory campaign leaflets through letterboxes. Mr Timms may be the sitting MP and Angie may have a formidable fight on her hands turning around a Labour majority of nearly 10,000, but she is convinced she can win.
"I'm fighting to win," she says, "I wouldn't be standing, otherwise."
Canvassing on a sunny Saturday, afternoon, Angie and "Nige darling" are facing the voters cold.
"There's very few of us around here," admits one elderly woman." Angie's response is swift. "There's a lot more of us than you realise."