A Day in the Life

Well, perhaps not a complete day, but a little insight into the mailbag – electronic and paper – that a parliamentary candidate gets.

Of course, I’m not an official candidate yet; after all the election has yet to be officially called, but my name is on numerous websites and databases, including the LibDem site, and so I’m fair game for every group and cause out there.  It’s been interesting dealing with these enquiries and requests for my support, as while I have views on many issues (I am a politician after all, even if an amateur one!), I’ve had to sit and think about some of these.

All PPCs get lots of guidance from their HQs about what we can and can’t say, but I’ve tried to make sure that what I reply to people represents my views, checking to make sure I’m not radically at odds with my party of course!  I do disagree with my party on some things – but we’ll get to that in another post…

Today, I’ve been asked to support lifting embargos on Cuba; what my views are on NHS payment for homeopathy; to support events for Congo Now, a group working for better security in the Congo; and to confirm that I pay proper taxes in the UK!

Cuba, of course, has been badly hit by the US trade blockade, but I have been concerned about the human rights violations and lack of free speech for some time, so it was fairly easy to respond in line with party views.

There’s a perception of LibDems as being woolly and a bit hippie-ish, so you might expect us to be in favour of homeopathy – but our MP Evan Harris has been outspoken on the subject, and even subject to some hate campaigning, and I agree with him that this isn’t something we should be spending taxpayers’ money on – it’s not just a case of unproven, it’s simply got no evidence to support it at all.  If you want to pay for it yourself, that’s fine.  If you want the NHS to pay, I’m sorry, I disagree.

I’ve left the Congo Now response for the moment – they are asking me to support their events in June and July when I’m an MP, and I think I might be tempting fate a bit to respond just yet.  Although I will be hanging on to the letter for after May 6th!

And, taxes: yes, I pay them, and yes it’s in this country, and no, I don’t think tax evaders should get away with it.  Easy!

One final thought on lobby groups – I was interviewed by the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child on Saturday morning, and questioned about abortion, euthanasia and embryo experimentation.  I was actually surprised that I gave what they would probably have considered the ‘right’ answers to 2 of the 10 questions; but I don’t think that will be enough to get me many of their votes.  But the important thing is that they have had the chance to hear what I stand for and believe in; truth is more important sometimes than agreement.

So, It Begins

Well, Gordon made it official today.  Not much change for campaigners here though, as we’ve been out knocking on doors for a couple of weeks already; still, it’s nice to be able to answer residents when they ask about the General Election, and not have to persuade people that council elections are just as important – which they are!

No one would be surprised if I said that I was getting a good response on the doorstep – no candidate could possibly say anything else in public!  But I genuinely enjoy getting out to meet people and find out their views, and generally speaking people are polite and friendly when they answer the bell, and that’s pretty much the same this time as last.

The three things I’ve noticed this time around are a greater disillusionment with, and disengagement from, politics than I’ve come across before; a real lack of conviction that David Cameron is ‘for real’; and a wish, almost a hunger, for a hung parliament.

The first isn’t surprising, although it is disappointing.  It’s not just young people, but increasingly a generation of 50-plus people who are retreating behind their front doors and refusing to engage.  All I can offer them is that I’ll try to restore some faith, and not promise what I can’t achieve.  Understandably, it’s a hard sell.

The second carries on from the same reaction I encountered last year, but I really think he’s running out of time to change views; and the critical fact is that it seems to be Conservative voters (not all of them, but a significant number) who feel like this.  I expect many of them will probably vote Con anyway, but perhaps some of them will stay away.  Could have an interesting, and unexpected impact, in some places – I suspect that last year it was these voters, rather than UKIP transferrers, who did for the Tories in a few key county seats.

The last point is the most unexpected to me.  The common wisdom seems to be that people don’t want a hung parliament, and this is certainly what’s being talked up by the Tories, but it’s being brought up spontaneously by voters, and they seem keen on it -they want politicians who talk to each, and don’t shout at each other, and frankly, I’m with them.  For the record, I still don’t think it’s a likely outcome – but I’ll be watching the polls as keenly as everyone else over the next few weeks!

Snow Business

[I noticed after my last post that I'd alliterated both titles - so that's that stopped now!]

It gets quite busy as a councillor when you get the weather we’ve seen over the past week; doubly so with my son off school for three days and needing entertaining and occupying!  I was pretty impressed locally by how well people coped and just got on with what they could; in our road, people helped out those who had difficulty getting out and about for necessities, and there was a reasonable effort by many to clear pavements outside their properties as well as their private paths.  And I know that the council staff, particularly the highways staff and the refuse collectors, worked themselves very hard to try to make sure roads were clear and rubbish not left uncollected longer than absolutely necessary.

Some people surprise, however.  One particular resident phoned up with a fairly extensive litany of complaint.  The county council should, apparently, have provided grit and sand to every road in Worthing (and, presumably, the rest of West Sussex).  Now, far be it from me to defend a Tory council, but the council has to set priorities and work within a reasonable budget: I can recognise a plan that would be both unfeasible and ridiculously expensive, and that was it.  Of course, it came from a Con, always the people who want every cost cutting except when it will affect them personally, when no expense should be spared.

The next amazing point was that priority should be given to side roads over main road, because ‘people live on the side roads.’  There’s no answer to that, and not in the good way.

Having just been out to get food for a neighbour, I suggested to the caller that perhaps a neighbour could help get them essentials if they couldn’t get out.  Response? ‘You expect me to talk to my neighbours?  People around here keep themselves to themselves.’  So much for the spirit of the Blitz.

Final point on snow: I heard the Tory spokeswoman on the radio, complaining that roads weren’t being gritted and/or cleared efficiently enough.  Somehow, this was the government’s fault, even though it’s the councils who plan their salt stocks and running the snowploughs.  And who runs the majority of those councils?  That’s right, Conservatives.  Now, as I said above, I think from what I’ve heard and seen that they did a decent job.  And trying to score political points from such an indefensible position is, well, indefensible.

Liberalism and Leftwingers

Here in Worthing we have an infrequent newsletter – The Pork-Bolter – published anonymously; I know more about the people behind it than they think I do, but I’m happy to let their anonymity carry on if that’s the way they want it, as some of what they publish is worthwhile.  Suffice to say that there is a loose group of activists: chiefly environmental, generally left of centre, and definitely anti-establishment.

That doesn’t make them LibDem of course; and it certainly doesn’t make them liberal, even if they might consider themselves so.

In the Yule issue, which I received over Christmas, there was an article titled ‘Twigging Hazel’, which concerned itself with Cllr Hazel Thorpe’s appearance on the Politics Show.   [Full disclosure: Hazel is a fellow LibDem cllr, a fellow PPC, and a good colleague I've known for many years].  Now, the Pork-Bolter might disagree with Hazel’s approach, or previous actions, but to my mind it’s decidedly illiberal to describe someone as ‘tottering across the Downs in high heels and an expensive-looking red coat’.  I thought that those on the left prided themselves on not judging on appearances but on actions, unlike those across on the opposite benches.

I find it slightly saddening to read someone – and a potential ally of the Pork-Bolter – damned so unthinkingly.  Hopefully the Pork-Bolter will have recovered some liberality over the Christmas festivities, and be dispensing bonhomie for the next few issues.

Defectors and Democracy

So.  My approval as PPC (prospective parliamentary candidate) has coincided with two councillors in Adur deciding that they wanted to be Liberal Democrats not Conservatives; while I wish I could claim the credit it for it, the truth is that Gavin and Carl each decided they felt more at home being liberal than being conservative.  People making their own decisions without armtwisting or badgering is intrinsically liberal – we really do believe people are capable of making up their own minds, rather than us deciding for them!

Defectors always get treated badly by the party they leave: that’s only to be expected in party-driven politics.  Still, it’s been sad to see the bile that has come out of some Tory mouths over our two new members, and some of it sadly twisted to fit the Tory view of the world.  Gavin and Carl may not have been to many meetings recently, but why go to a group meeting when you’re told how to vote? And why go to a council meeting when there are enough people who have accepted being told how to vote to outvote you in any case?

I’m satisfied that we’ve got two new members who are keen to work for their wards and communities; and I’m hoping that we can help them do well in the council elections next year.