Monday 20 July 2009

Action day with the 18-21 year olds

A great day with the youngsters who have started to come and help us out more and more - Dan and Ben are old hands by now but Vicki and Immie both agreed to come and help - Immie doing this for the first time [she was great!]. As always the people you are canvassing with change the dynamic of what you do, how you approach the day, and often how you go down with the electorate. So it was today as it is tough to get cynical on the doorstep when you have 4 really bright, polite, questioning students on your doorstep
We started on Hordley Acres, which is the large estate in Haydon Bridge, which has long been neglected both by the Council and by political parties. I am amazed how well we are doing on the estates - they are really responding to our survey strategy and our desire to solve the local problems that affect their day to day lives. I am really proud that we were the ones who sorted out all the potholes in the estate - even though they had had a liberal councillor for months

We were canvassing the whole town and also surveying the area with a special Haydon Bridge leaflet
Even at 10.30 am on a monday morning a lot were in - most were just amazed we were actually asking them what was wrong with the town, how we could help locally and nationally and that we were there out of an election time...

In the town itself there was some Conservative support, only 3 labour, not one liberal and mostly possible conservatives. Lots of former labour switchers thinking of moving to us - the dynamic is very similar to the feel on the doorstep that you get in Haltwhistle

Then on to Ovington where we again canvassed the whole area. Gutted I missed their recent fair but you cannot go to everything

Big election meeting in the evening - we are now pretty much ready for an election whenever it is called - the plan is written, budget sorted and lots of people getting organised. I am lucky that the team of officers are as good as they are