On The Street

Postal votes out, pushing for the last votes. People are refreshingly honest on the door but not impolite. I am enjoying the campaign and have got some voters to display posters! It is hard to re-light the fire in a ward where Labour hasn't been in power for some time. But lets have a go.

Shoe Leather

My feet hurt. All leaflets out and a personal letter to postal voters. Time to rest up, mark up the data collected and then get ready for the final push.

Tumbleweed

The local media (who shall remain nameless) have covered the local elections in the following fashion:

candidate A
candidate B
candidate C

And that's it. No debate, no room for candidates to cast their ideas for the relevant ward. I spoke to one of the senior journalists at one of the papers and I was told that they didn't have enough room for such stories and the word purdah was mentioned. I usually associate the word purdah with public bodies not making any major decisions whilst elections are on - not for private newspapers.

I can half understand not reporting in detail on local elections as each camp will shout "undue influence" whenever they report on the other candidate. But given the elections effect how local services will be run I find it shocking that the papers aren't giving more coverage. But then again I am a candidate - so I am a bit biased at the moment.

Canvassing In The Sun

Today I had a campaign day in the sun. Good weather, leafleting & canvassing and a good drink after. It makes campaigning worth it.

Someone's knocking at the door

I had a kind of naked lunch moment this week when out on the door. I came across a man who had not been knocked by anyone for the Labour Party for over 20 years. It was a sobering moment where my campaign seemed a little hopeless. However, the man did say he would vote for me.

It seems that the place I am campaigning is massively politically stagnant as there does not seem to be the sort of cut and thrust politics that I am more accustom to. Time will tell.

But I have a feeling that this might not be a isolated case. If we are not prepared as a party to engage with the public then we cannot set the agenda and we have to fight rearguard actions when we are challenged by an organised opposition party. It makes me think that the promises to "do stuff between elections" that everybody in the party says after May needs to be acted on.

Taking Up The Mantle

In the past few days I have been formally made a candidate in the local elections. I met the officers of the branch today and I have a Herculean task ahead. I am now living it for real and I feel I am about to get a baptism of fire. Taking up the Mantle for Labour in less than friendly times ... here I go!