I’ve spent a very long half-hour at Methodist Central Hall to soak up the “strike” vibes. There were all the usual trimmings; hand-made flags, people outside playing the drums and lots of strong rhetoric, viz, the government has a “loaded gun” to the heads of teachers et cetera.

Most interesting, however, was the thoroughly negative response to even the mention of Ed Miliband, who has sat right on the fence over today’s one-day action.

For quote of the day, few will match Boris Johnson on Today this morning as he discussed the strikes – referring to his role as the token right-winger calling for a clampdown on the unions:

“It’s like some kind of Indonesian puppet theatre and I’m kept in the wings and wheeled on like some kind of ogre to say this terrifying play that old Johnson has, we’ll do it unless you shape up. People really need to start thinking seriously about it.”

Continue reading: “Boris Johnson compares himself to Indonesian puppet ogre”