IT is the ultimate in endurance and takes a special brand of will-power to see it through to the end.

We have entered a dog-eat-dog world in which back-stabbing is par for the course, scheming characters will stop at nothing to come out on top, rats scurry around all over the place, television cameras record every move, and no-one pulls any punches.

In the end, it comes down to a ballot to see who will be the winner - democracy decides.

No, this is not Survivor, the new "television phenomenon" which begins on ITV tonight, offering £1m to the contestant who can last longest on an unforgiving desert island in the South China Sea, off Borneo.

We are, of course, talking about something far more onerous, long-winded, and shallow - the General Election campaign.

Everyone is a target. . .The Tories yesterday signalled their intention to "get" Keith Vaz and Geoffrey Robinson over criticisms of their conduct by the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee.

Meanwhile, Anne Widdecombe is stalking Home Secretary Jack Straw - this time for allegedly failing to protect youngsters from paedophiles on the Internet.

William Hague knows there are plenty, on both sides, who will be after his scalp as leader if the polls prove to be accurate. Can he really trust Michael Portillo?

And what of Tony Blair? The Prime Minister goes out of his way to be liked by everyone so he'll be confident of riding the storm, though he did take a fierce battering over health from a cancer victim's wife last week.

But, for the record, our money is on John Prescott being the last one standing. Now there's a man who knows how to handle himself when the going gets tough.

Three more weeks of the most lack-lustre election campaign in living memory to go. How many of us (italics) can survive it?

CONGRATULATIONS to all those involved in "A Last Night of the Proms" at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington, on Saturday night.

Wonderful entertainment, passion, patriotism, and plenty of humour made for a memorable occasion which also raised thousands of pounds for local charities.

And a future star was surely unearthed in the form of 13-year-old Sarah Kelly, winner of our Young Soprano Competition.

A voice to remember.