Autopsy

The constituency party will meet soon to carry out the annual autopsy that follow the elections. The candidates who were returned without challenge will see the fact that the kept no canvass records during the election as a virtue. They will say that they don't need to canvass as everyone has a good general feeling Labour and they don't like to ask how they vote. The trend for these no-knocker branches is a decline in ward turnout and a decline in Labour vote but no decline in the oppositions vote. I often wonder if it would take the loss of a candidate to make them realise they have to work.

A couple of wards have already smelled the coffee and are keeping records and working their collective arses off identifying voters and pulling them out on the day. In theses ward the turnout is up and Labour vote is going up and their opponents are static or are seeing their vote fall. A good trend.

The ward I contested will be moaned about as virtually none of the branch members came out. My campaign was fought with outside help. I have some work to do but I have kept the confidence of the constituency chair and the MP, so I should have a good chance of having support to rebuild the branch and get going for next year. I just need to go on a charm offensive.