MO MOWLAM was in a mischievous mood. As she looked up from her bingo card, she said: "This is fun, the most fun we have had all day. All we have done is boring political meetings."

Her popularity with the people remains undimmed. She received a rapturous round of applause, from the hundreds of people playing a charity game in aid of the Butterwick Children's Hospice, as she arrived at the bingo complex at Stockton's Chandlers Wharf.

With her was almost a full house of Labour luminaries, with Stockton South candidate Dari Taylor and North-West Durham candidate Hilary Armstrong joining her for a quick game of housey-housey.

It seems that even when politicians retire - Mo is stepping down as the MP for Redcar after 14 years and a career which included Northern Ireland Secretary and Cabinet Minister - the election trail continues.

Not that she minds.

She said: "I have been fighting across the country for seats. I am still part of the Labour party, and still part of the movement.

"I am not going to stop any of that, because I want to get as many seats as possible.

"I have covered more than 50 constituencies so far and I am still putting a lot of hard work in. I believe Labour will win but we need to be very careful - these last four days are crucial and we need to get every vote. I am confident but wary."

But fighting this election has been slightly different to her previous campaigns, because she is not defending her Redcar constituency where her majority in 1997 was almost 22,000.

"I don't have to do quite as much in Redcar as I have before, so it is more enjoyable," she said.

"But I am not leaving Redcar. I will still live there. I love Redcar, it is my home."

But after Thursday, Mo will no longer have a job, and while there are rumours about a high-profile post with the United Nations, she is adamant she is going to take her time.

"I am not taking a gap year like the students do, I am taking a gap week," she said.

"Then I want to raise money in America for a project for integrated education in Northern Ireland - I feel I didn't do enough when I was there."

But Mo is passionate about another project inspired by a friend in Redcar.

She wants to set up a holiday centre for disabled youngsters where ex-drug addicts help out as a way of returning to community life.

She said: "There are some facilities but not enough, and the problem is that these homes are costly to run because of the one-to-one care needed.

"But if I can get a home, and next door have a place for ex-addicts or rough sleepers who haven't got a home and who aren't quite strong enough to go out into the community, they can help out with the children to build their confidence and self-respect.

"It will keep the costs down. And they get love and affection because if you help them, disabled children will love you right back. You can't legislate for love, unfortunately."

And she has another job offer to add to her collection - manager Stuart Booth offered her a job as a bingo caller.

After the bingo, Mo set off to her own constituency to canvass with Labour candidate Vera Baird, before heading for Whitby to enjoy an ice-cream with Labour's candidate Lawrie Quinn

Read more about the election here.