Spent half a day last week helping John Stevenson [red tie] in Carlisle; he has a 5000+ labour majority to overcome and is a classic swing seat; we found the mood on the doorstep very strong and with little support for Labour save traditional labour supporters; he has interesting news today as Steven Tweedie, the Lib Dem candidate for Carlisle in 2005, is quoted in the Cumberland News:
“The electorate of Carlisle face an important choice. Do we stay with Labour yet again or embrace change and vote for John Stevenson – the only alternative candidate that can win the constituency? I firmly believe that Carlisle needs a new direction. Labour has failed to deliver for Carlisle and the Labour Government has been a disaster.
“Of all the candidates, John Stevenson is the least tribal and the most likely to advance the cause of our city. I wish to endorse him personally and would encourage others to give him their support.”
Carlisle has not returned a Conservative MP since the 1959 general election, but the redrawn boundaries mean that John requires a swing of 6.7% to overturn a notional Labour majority of 5,085
