In the news this morning is the fact that the Government today sold £3billion of new 10 year debt at a 2.2% interest rate. A record low rate of interest! What an amazing vote of confidence by international investors in the UK and this government just days after we are supposedly "isolated" and "a pygmy nation". Contrast to Italy and Spain who paying 6%+ on their new borrowings. If we still had a Labour government and had not implimented an austerity programme then our borrow costs would be like Italy and Spain. That £3billion of debt alone would have cost us more than £100million a year in extra interest - more than £1billion over the 10 years!
Can you imagine the sort of income tax and VAT rates needed to fund Labour's spending policies and to pay the resulting penal rates of interest on our borrowings? Both coalition partners can be proud of the economic policies they have put in place since the last General Election that have brought us back from the Labour road to ruin.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Sunday, 11 December 2011
A NIGHTMARISH, TOTALITARIAN, FEDERAL STATE
Although I've supported the Conservatives since my school days, I never was a true fan of David Cameron. When all party members were given the choice between Cameron and David Davies I firmly put my cross in favour of the latter. However since last Friday morning I've had to totally revise my opinion of our Prime Minister. For the first time in forty years we have a Prime Minister who has stood up for Britain's interests and used the veto rather than give in as usual with concession after concession as the continent moves ever closer to a single federal entity with a serious democratic deficit.
I really never believed that he would have the strength of character to say "No!" when alone and totally outnumbered. That takes real guts! Well done Mr Cameron! The 9th December 2011 may go down as an pivotal date in our nation's history.
Of course no sane organisation would ever hold its important meetings during the early hours of the morning. The fact that the EU chooses to do its business that way merely sums up what a completely ludicrious creation it is. Can you think of any other organisation that would choose to start proceedings with an evening meal and then effectively lock its participants in a room through the night until a decision is reached. Totally barmy!
With hindsight it is easy for some commentators to say that the veto outcome was obvious. The French established a set of conditions designed to push our PM into a corner. One of their key goals is to marginise Britain within Europe. Cameron was naive in thinking that he could negotiate an agreement - but that is the mistake that all previous British PMs have made. The EU doesn't do negotiations that in any way align with Britain's national interest - the EU just dictates and demands agreement on its own terms. Perhaps a weasily worded and worthless tit-bit is offered as a fig leaf but never anything of real consequence. Thank goodness that Cameron was wily and astute enough to see the truth.
Where does that leave the UK if the other 26 move ever closer to fiscal union and a single federated European state? Someone has described it as being left on the dock as the Titanic set sail. Others use the analogy of being locked outside a burning building. With the EU now accounting for less than 15% of world GDP we can start to lift our eyes to the wider horizon and the 85% of world GDP beyond. Its a shameful disgrace how we turned our backs since the 1970s on our kith and kin in the Commonwealth. The Queen always knew who our true friends were even if politicians couldn't, or wouldn't see it. Plus China, Brazil - well the list could go on and on - are the future for commerce and trade. True, they are further away than our European neighbours but economically they are the future. Germany may be an economic powerhouse and increasingly the dominant master of the EU but a lot of its perceived 'strength' has been built from the inbalances between itself and other EU states arising from the single currency. In the long term these inbalances are unsustainable - witness how it has left Greece, Italy, Portugal etc.
So the EU (excluding the UK) moves on to a Fiscal Union - a federal single state dominated by France and Germany and controlled out of Brussels. All the other 'nations' will have to get their annual budgets first scrutinised and approved by a non-elected group of commisionaires in Brussels before putting it in front of their own parliaments. Nations (strictly speaking, better now called regions) with less autonomy than Suffolk County Council or even our local Mid Suffolk District Council! Regional leaders that won't toe the line will be replaced as we have already seen in Greece and Italy. That is the nightmarish, totalitarian result that has arisen from the EU attempts to preserve its single currency ideology - a soviet union of Western Europe.
Thank goodness we in the UK are on the sidelines. The whole global economy will suffer when the Euro project ultimately collapses - we can't be immune to that - but with our own sovereignty, own currency and own democracy we can mitigate many of the effects from that fallout. Or, when the democratic deficit in the new EU State finally leads to a civil war within it, again thank goodness we are on the sidelines. The protests seen so far in Athens and Rome are a mere prelude to what's to come in the bleak EU future.
I really never believed that he would have the strength of character to say "No!" when alone and totally outnumbered. That takes real guts! Well done Mr Cameron! The 9th December 2011 may go down as an pivotal date in our nation's history.
Of course no sane organisation would ever hold its important meetings during the early hours of the morning. The fact that the EU chooses to do its business that way merely sums up what a completely ludicrious creation it is. Can you think of any other organisation that would choose to start proceedings with an evening meal and then effectively lock its participants in a room through the night until a decision is reached. Totally barmy!
With hindsight it is easy for some commentators to say that the veto outcome was obvious. The French established a set of conditions designed to push our PM into a corner. One of their key goals is to marginise Britain within Europe. Cameron was naive in thinking that he could negotiate an agreement - but that is the mistake that all previous British PMs have made. The EU doesn't do negotiations that in any way align with Britain's national interest - the EU just dictates and demands agreement on its own terms. Perhaps a weasily worded and worthless tit-bit is offered as a fig leaf but never anything of real consequence. Thank goodness that Cameron was wily and astute enough to see the truth.
Where does that leave the UK if the other 26 move ever closer to fiscal union and a single federated European state? Someone has described it as being left on the dock as the Titanic set sail. Others use the analogy of being locked outside a burning building. With the EU now accounting for less than 15% of world GDP we can start to lift our eyes to the wider horizon and the 85% of world GDP beyond. Its a shameful disgrace how we turned our backs since the 1970s on our kith and kin in the Commonwealth. The Queen always knew who our true friends were even if politicians couldn't, or wouldn't see it. Plus China, Brazil - well the list could go on and on - are the future for commerce and trade. True, they are further away than our European neighbours but economically they are the future. Germany may be an economic powerhouse and increasingly the dominant master of the EU but a lot of its perceived 'strength' has been built from the inbalances between itself and other EU states arising from the single currency. In the long term these inbalances are unsustainable - witness how it has left Greece, Italy, Portugal etc.
So the EU (excluding the UK) moves on to a Fiscal Union - a federal single state dominated by France and Germany and controlled out of Brussels. All the other 'nations' will have to get their annual budgets first scrutinised and approved by a non-elected group of commisionaires in Brussels before putting it in front of their own parliaments. Nations (strictly speaking, better now called regions) with less autonomy than Suffolk County Council or even our local Mid Suffolk District Council! Regional leaders that won't toe the line will be replaced as we have already seen in Greece and Italy. That is the nightmarish, totalitarian result that has arisen from the EU attempts to preserve its single currency ideology - a soviet union of Western Europe.
Thank goodness we in the UK are on the sidelines. The whole global economy will suffer when the Euro project ultimately collapses - we can't be immune to that - but with our own sovereignty, own currency and own democracy we can mitigate many of the effects from that fallout. Or, when the democratic deficit in the new EU State finally leads to a civil war within it, again thank goodness we are on the sidelines. The protests seen so far in Athens and Rome are a mere prelude to what's to come in the bleak EU future.
Friday, 28 October 2011
SO YOU THINK THE EU IS DEMOCRATIC? WATCH THIS VIDEO!
Since writing the headline and posting the video on Saturday there has been a dramatic development. The Greek Prime Minister has called for a referendum of the Greek people to approve or otherwise the bailout conditions. So a little bit of democracy finally comes to a little bit of the EU.
However the Greek PM is getting serious grief from the other eurozone leaders for putting the matter to the people. It is a fact that the delay until the referendum result is known will create a great deal of uncertainty and events in the market may well overtake the referendum. And it does seem that he has sprung this referendum without telling the other leaders about it first. However, given the choice - either year, after year, after year of austerity and mass unemployment or the really short sharp pain of a default, leaving the euro with the massive devaluation of a new greek currency but the chance to rise again like Argentina (8% growth for a number of years post the default and devaluation) - the odds must be on the greek people choosing the latter.
Where will that leave the people of Ireland and Portugal who retain 100% of their debt burden, the yoke of the euro and years of austerity? That's the trillion euro question.
Update 3/11/2011 Referendum called off. Less than 24 hours after the Greek PM was called by his masters to meet them at the G20 Cannes, he has called off the referendum. The people again denied their say in EU matters. The Franco-German axis crushes Greek democracy.
Monday, 24 October 2011
WHIPPING BOYS (AND GIRLS)
As someone who believes strongly in the freedom of the individual one of the very first questions I asked my party before standing as a district councillor was "Do you have '3 line whips' at council meetings like they do at Westminster?". I found it very comforting to be told that councillors could vote according to their conscience although as a matter of good manners they should inform the leader if they are going to vote against a group recommendation. At the very first group meeting after the election this was reiterated. How very civilised and what a contrast to the situation at Westminster where the backbencher EU debate arising from the e-petition is being subject to a 3-line whip by all the major parties.
David Cameron has tried to defuse the situation with his own backbenchers by suggesting that treaty changes arising from the failed euro project could lead to some renegotiation and the return of some of Brussels powers back to Westminster. Well that would be a first in forty years! But Cameron's hands are tied being part of a coalition. To quote today's London Evening Standard website:-
"...he [Cameron] was immediately plunged into a furious public row with his Liberal Democrat coalition partners who do not support the repatriation of powers from Brussels."
The LibDems continue to be enraptured by the EU despite the euro project leading to rioting on the streets in southern Europe, frighteningly high levels of unemployment, stagnation, inflation and Berlin dictating economic policy to other 'sovereign' countries. Two things the EU certainly isn't - liberal and democratic!
Meanwhile, if you are still unclear of where I stand in regards to holding a EU referendum perhaps this photograph will clear things up!
I attended a Referendum demonstration at Westminster several years ago. I was handed this placard. I actually brought it home with me, as a sounvenir, on first the Tube and then the overground line to Ipswich. I felt rather self-conscious but proud.
At some stage in this country's future I truly believe they will erect statues to the freedom fighters against this evil EU Empire.
POSTSCRIPT : 111 heroes. 101 from across all three UK main parties, 9 from Ulster and 1 watermelon (green on the outside, red on the inside). No one representing Suffolk though.
David Cameron has tried to defuse the situation with his own backbenchers by suggesting that treaty changes arising from the failed euro project could lead to some renegotiation and the return of some of Brussels powers back to Westminster. Well that would be a first in forty years! But Cameron's hands are tied being part of a coalition. To quote today's London Evening Standard website:-
"...he [Cameron] was immediately plunged into a furious public row with his Liberal Democrat coalition partners who do not support the repatriation of powers from Brussels."
The LibDems continue to be enraptured by the EU despite the euro project leading to rioting on the streets in southern Europe, frighteningly high levels of unemployment, stagnation, inflation and Berlin dictating economic policy to other 'sovereign' countries. Two things the EU certainly isn't - liberal and democratic!
Meanwhile, if you are still unclear of where I stand in regards to holding a EU referendum perhaps this photograph will clear things up!
At some stage in this country's future I truly believe they will erect statues to the freedom fighters against this evil EU Empire.
POSTSCRIPT : 111 heroes. 101 from across all three UK main parties, 9 from Ulster and 1 watermelon (green on the outside, red on the inside). No one representing Suffolk though.
Monday, 9 May 2011
THE AV CAMPAIGN
With such a resounding NO vote in the AV referendum I'm sure there will be no post-mortem by the NO campaign group. And those campaigning for a YES vote may well just take some comfort in deciding that the NO side "played dirty".
Alternatively, and more sensibly, they may decide to take a closer look at how their side ran their campaign. I've found a very well written analysis prepared on how the YES campaign was run. You can find it here.
Don't ask me how I came to be reading a "Liberal Vision" website - the beauty of the world wide web is that it can take you, link-by-link, to all sorts of places.
Alternatively, and more sensibly, they may decide to take a closer look at how their side ran their campaign. I've found a very well written analysis prepared on how the YES campaign was run. You can find it here.
Don't ask me how I came to be reading a "Liberal Vision" website - the beauty of the world wide web is that it can take you, link-by-link, to all sorts of places.
Friday, 6 May 2011
THE COUNT.....THE RESULT
I arrived at the counting centre at a quarter past ten and was followed into the hall by Kevin, the Conservative candidate from the neighbouring ward. It was Kevin's first time as a candidate and it took me back to 2009 where I was in a similar position in the County elections. The morning was just being used for ballot box verification (which I assume means checking that the number of ballot papers in the box equals the number issued). Also all the referendum ballot papers were being sorted, but not counted.
There were very few other candidates present so Kevin and I took a long walk down into Stowmarket and had an enjoyable cup of coffee in the outside courtyard of a cafe. Later after a brief look into the counting hall, I went home for lunch.
Arrived back just after two O'clock and the counting had begun. As there were two seats being contested, many ballot papers had two crosses on them. It was therefore quite a complex collation of various combinations to add all the various votes together. Although complex, it was well organised. However because of the complexity, it was very difficult to judge how the votes were stacking up. The count took a long, nervous (for me) 80 minutes. As it progressed I learnt that Kevin had not been successful although he had moved the Conservative votes in his ward up from fourth place to third. But with only two seats up for grabs, he had missed out.
Then came my result. And here it is:
Britt (Conservative) 469
Fairburn (Suffolk Together) 250
Penny (Green) 139
Redbond (LibDem) 502
Touman (LibDem) 296
Whitehead (Conservative) 573
Wilson J (Labour) 251
Wilson T (Labour) 233
I'd come first! And the two seats are split between the Conservatives and the LibDems which I think does accurately reflect the ward's political make-up with the hard-working LibDem deservedly retaining his seat. I've just realised that I got more votes than the combined independent candidates and more votes than the combined Labour candidates. So too did the second placed candidate. I think we can both be proud of that fact.
Overall our council has 21* Conservative councillors out of a total of 40. Gaining my seat therefore takes them past the 50% mark and gives them control. I suppose any Conservative councillor could make the same claim but as a "seat-gainer" I'll happy claim the role. [*Late amendment : the 21 figure should actually be 22 - it was an error on the MSDC website].
I only had a small band of helpers to whom I'm indebted for their support and encouragement. That includes our association secretary, the election agent, my local MP and his assistants/friends, our association President and his wife (my fellow candidate). Also the 10 locals who readily agreed to sign my nomination forms. Last but not least - my wife and young son for their support and help with leaflet distribution.
There were very few other candidates present so Kevin and I took a long walk down into Stowmarket and had an enjoyable cup of coffee in the outside courtyard of a cafe. Later after a brief look into the counting hall, I went home for lunch.
Arrived back just after two O'clock and the counting had begun. As there were two seats being contested, many ballot papers had two crosses on them. It was therefore quite a complex collation of various combinations to add all the various votes together. Although complex, it was well organised. However because of the complexity, it was very difficult to judge how the votes were stacking up. The count took a long, nervous (for me) 80 minutes. As it progressed I learnt that Kevin had not been successful although he had moved the Conservative votes in his ward up from fourth place to third. But with only two seats up for grabs, he had missed out.
Then came my result. And here it is:
Britt (Conservative) 469
Fairburn (Suffolk Together) 250
Penny (Green) 139
Redbond (LibDem) 502
Touman (LibDem) 296
Whitehead (Conservative) 573
Wilson J (Labour) 251
Wilson T (Labour) 233
I'd come first! And the two seats are split between the Conservatives and the LibDems which I think does accurately reflect the ward's political make-up with the hard-working LibDem deservedly retaining his seat. I've just realised that I got more votes than the combined independent candidates and more votes than the combined Labour candidates. So too did the second placed candidate. I think we can both be proud of that fact.
Overall our council has 21* Conservative councillors out of a total of 40. Gaining my seat therefore takes them past the 50% mark and gives them control. I suppose any Conservative councillor could make the same claim but as a "seat-gainer" I'll happy claim the role. [*Late amendment : the 21 figure should actually be 22 - it was an error on the MSDC website].
I only had a small band of helpers to whom I'm indebted for their support and encouragement. That includes our association secretary, the election agent, my local MP and his assistants/friends, our association President and his wife (my fellow candidate). Also the 10 locals who readily agreed to sign my nomination forms. Last but not least - my wife and young son for their support and help with leaflet distribution.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
"I THOUGHT IT WAS CATS THAT WENT MISSING........"
Oh my feet are so painful! I don't think I have ever before walked in 9 hours even 25% of the distance I have walked today.
At the end of my last posting I was asking whether any one would be coming to my rescue to help get these second leaflets out. The fact is that I was actually expecting three people to call by during the morning and had lined up three distribution routes [about 600 leaflets] for them along with carefully drawn maps. The three were actually my local MP and two of his friends and they were due at 9am for a 90 minute slot. At 9.10am one person turned up and informed me that our MP had been held up at Westminster until 4am on a three-line whip. He would need to rest before being fit to drive out to Suffolk. That would be later in the day's timetable than my bit! So three became one and the mountains of leaflets suddenly seemed overwhelming. The two of us took a round each and got those out by 10.45am at which point I bade a thanks and farewell to my helper. I then got on with another round before lunch. I met up with my wife after she had finished work at 2pm for an 'all day breakfast' at a great cafe by a local fishing lake. I needed a big calorie input. Then whilst she went to collect our son from school I went off to blitz Henley and then Barham Green. Later whilst our son was having his football training we both put in a further hour's stint each and got a load more leaflets out.
Basically I just kept going through the pain barrier. My legs became so weary and my feet stung. But I found an almost evangelical zeal giving out these second leaflets. Someone I knew shouted across to me "I loved your leaflet!" and someone told my wife when she collected our son from school that "John's leaflet was really good". After football training this evening a parent told me "your leaflet was fantastic". Its not very often that political leaflets are described in such terms! But then it was a bit different to your typical leaflet.
The most surreal comment though came yesterday. A lady had just finished puting her child into her car seat as I walked up her drive and handed her my leaflet. She looked at it, exclaimed "Missing?!?!?" - a combination of exclamation and question marks in her voice before uttering the memorable phrase "I thought it was cats that went missing, not councillors". Priceless! The bold heading across the top of the leaflet was "MISSING!!" and it was a joy to hand it to people with a teasing "you'll find some interesting information in there!"
But there are no prizes for leaflets. Its the vote tomorrow that counts. And I really don't know how to call it. The Conservatives came bottom - fourth out of four last time (2007). This time there are eight candidates chasing two seats. The local pressure group "Suffolk Together" that took Tory votes back in the 2009 County elections have a candidate standing in this election and that is not at all helpful to my cause - although this time everyone has two votes (for the two seats).
Well I've given it my best shot. I learnt a lot standing in the 2009 County election which meant I hit the ground running this time. Short of having more helpers with canvassing and the fact I lost two days to illness, I'm not sure what more I could have done.
My house is being used as a "Area Headquarters" on polling day. That will be a whole new experience for me (and the family). I may blog about that tomorrow otherwise I'll be back with the result on Friday afternoon.
PS: This evening after football practice, one parent saw my 'No to AV' sticker and asked "What is AV?"
At the end of my last posting I was asking whether any one would be coming to my rescue to help get these second leaflets out. The fact is that I was actually expecting three people to call by during the morning and had lined up three distribution routes [about 600 leaflets] for them along with carefully drawn maps. The three were actually my local MP and two of his friends and they were due at 9am for a 90 minute slot. At 9.10am one person turned up and informed me that our MP had been held up at Westminster until 4am on a three-line whip. He would need to rest before being fit to drive out to Suffolk. That would be later in the day's timetable than my bit! So three became one and the mountains of leaflets suddenly seemed overwhelming. The two of us took a round each and got those out by 10.45am at which point I bade a thanks and farewell to my helper. I then got on with another round before lunch. I met up with my wife after she had finished work at 2pm for an 'all day breakfast' at a great cafe by a local fishing lake. I needed a big calorie input. Then whilst she went to collect our son from school I went off to blitz Henley and then Barham Green. Later whilst our son was having his football training we both put in a further hour's stint each and got a load more leaflets out.
Basically I just kept going through the pain barrier. My legs became so weary and my feet stung. But I found an almost evangelical zeal giving out these second leaflets. Someone I knew shouted across to me "I loved your leaflet!" and someone told my wife when she collected our son from school that "John's leaflet was really good". After football training this evening a parent told me "your leaflet was fantastic". Its not very often that political leaflets are described in such terms! But then it was a bit different to your typical leaflet.
The most surreal comment though came yesterday. A lady had just finished puting her child into her car seat as I walked up her drive and handed her my leaflet. She looked at it, exclaimed "Missing?!?!?" - a combination of exclamation and question marks in her voice before uttering the memorable phrase "I thought it was cats that went missing, not councillors". Priceless! The bold heading across the top of the leaflet was "MISSING!!" and it was a joy to hand it to people with a teasing "you'll find some interesting information in there!"
But there are no prizes for leaflets. Its the vote tomorrow that counts. And I really don't know how to call it. The Conservatives came bottom - fourth out of four last time (2007). This time there are eight candidates chasing two seats. The local pressure group "Suffolk Together" that took Tory votes back in the 2009 County elections have a candidate standing in this election and that is not at all helpful to my cause - although this time everyone has two votes (for the two seats).
Well I've given it my best shot. I learnt a lot standing in the 2009 County election which meant I hit the ground running this time. Short of having more helpers with canvassing and the fact I lost two days to illness, I'm not sure what more I could have done.
My house is being used as a "Area Headquarters" on polling day. That will be a whole new experience for me (and the family). I may blog about that tomorrow otherwise I'll be back with the result on Friday afternoon.
PS: This evening after football practice, one parent saw my 'No to AV' sticker and asked "What is AV?"
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
HUMOUR AND IRONY
Some on the left of politics jumped on a bandwagon last week after David Cameron's tongue-in-cheek "Calm down , dear!" to the faux hysterical reaction to one of his PMQ answers by one of the women on the opposition front bench. Cameron's later observation that they seem to take out the humour out when they put the socialism into these people was, in my view, spot on.
Whilst the socialists have had their humour removed, I'm pleased to see that the LibDems have firmly kept hold of their sense of irony. I received a leaflet of theirs through my door at the weekend with a catch-phrase logo "Working All Year Round" and which included the phrase "we need to make sure that you are properly represented". Difficult to argue with, surely? Yet I find both their catch-phrase logo and this particular statement both quite ironic. And why? The leaflet is co-authored by one of their candidates who has attended only 12 out of a possible 35 Full Council Meetings in the last four years. In my maths that's a 34% record. One year it was only 2 out of a possible 10 meetings [20%]. Here is that figure on the MSDC website:-
Its the line second from bottom in the photo. The worst attendance record out of all the councillors.
Perhaps we have different definitions of "working all year round" and "properly represented"? I feel most strongly (even passionately!) that the electors of Claydon & Barham Ward DESERVE BETTER than a councillor who frequently does not even bother to turn up to represent them yet still asks them to give him a second term of office! My second leaflet gives the electorate the opportunity to ponder this important issue whilst putting myself forward to fill this void. Democracy in action!
The only downside is that as of Tuesday evening, with 35 hours until polls open, I still have a phenomenal number of second leaflets still to deliver. Here's a photo of my campaign headquarters with a table still full of leaflets.
Will anyone be coming to my rescue? I'll never get all these out on my own tomorrow! Come back tomorrow evening for an update.
Whilst the socialists have had their humour removed, I'm pleased to see that the LibDems have firmly kept hold of their sense of irony. I received a leaflet of theirs through my door at the weekend with a catch-phrase logo "Working All Year Round" and which included the phrase "we need to make sure that you are properly represented". Difficult to argue with, surely? Yet I find both their catch-phrase logo and this particular statement both quite ironic. And why? The leaflet is co-authored by one of their candidates who has attended only 12 out of a possible 35 Full Council Meetings in the last four years. In my maths that's a 34% record. One year it was only 2 out of a possible 10 meetings [20%]. Here is that figure on the MSDC website:-
Its the line second from bottom in the photo. The worst attendance record out of all the councillors.
Perhaps we have different definitions of "working all year round" and "properly represented"? I feel most strongly (even passionately!) that the electors of Claydon & Barham Ward DESERVE BETTER than a councillor who frequently does not even bother to turn up to represent them yet still asks them to give him a second term of office! My second leaflet gives the electorate the opportunity to ponder this important issue whilst putting myself forward to fill this void. Democracy in action!
The only downside is that as of Tuesday evening, with 35 hours until polls open, I still have a phenomenal number of second leaflets still to deliver. Here's a photo of my campaign headquarters with a table still full of leaflets.
Will anyone be coming to my rescue? I'll never get all these out on my own tomorrow! Come back tomorrow evening for an update.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
HOW BEST TO SUM UP AV?
I've been laid low with a nasty bug for two days but thankfully I'm better now. My son was quite ill starting Tuesday morning and that continued until late Wednesday afternoon. Then both my wife and I came down with it in the early hours of Thusday morning. I had another canvassing session scheduled with our MP which had to be cancelled and overall lost two days from the campaign trail.
But now I'm okay and we've delivered the first batch of our second leaflets today. The initial reaction when field testing these leaflets has been very favourable. Now we've got to spread that message between now and Wednesday evening. The people of Claydon & Barham Ward deserve better! The full story will be revealed on my next posting.
Meanwhile, here's an amusing ditty from Youtube which sums up the AV system. If you want the supporters of extreme parties and joke candidates -those who's votes don't presently determine the outcome at Westminster - to have a bearing on the outcome, then you'll support AV. If not, you'll vote NO on Thursday. The choice is your's - but first, enjoy this song.......
But now I'm okay and we've delivered the first batch of our second leaflets today. The initial reaction when field testing these leaflets has been very favourable. Now we've got to spread that message between now and Wednesday evening. The people of Claydon & Barham Ward deserve better! The full story will be revealed on my next posting.
Meanwhile, here's an amusing ditty from Youtube which sums up the AV system. If you want the supporters of extreme parties and joke candidates -those who's votes don't presently determine the outcome at Westminster - to have a bearing on the outcome, then you'll support AV. If not, you'll vote NO on Thursday. The choice is your's - but first, enjoy this song.......
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
LESS THAN 10 DAYS TO GO NOW!
It seems only a blink of an eye ago that it was St Patrick's Day and still seven weeks to go to the election. Now we are in the last ten days - where has the time gone? Virtually every house has now received my first leaflet with the last few to be delivered tomorrow morning. I've been hampered a bit these last few days by my son's reluctance (ie. obstinate refusal) to come leafleting with me in the hot weather so I've been restricted to the late afternoon and early evening after my wife has got home from work. Now with the return to school on Wednesday I'll have the freedom to get out more.
However I've now convinced myself that the best time to deliver is when everyone is returning from work or have had their suppers. I imagine a family sitting in front of their TV when they hear the rattle of the letterbox. One of them retrieves our leaflet and then the family take turns to read it and then together discuss its merit before resolving to vote Conservative. Perhaps just in my dreams?
When knocking on doors it has surprised (and depressed) me how many people seem proud to tell us that they don't bother to vote. One woman said "I've never voted since I was 18 and now I'm 34 and not going to start". Others are very coy about their voting intentions. What makes it worthwhile is being greeted on a doorstep with "Good luck! You've got our vote" whilst being given a smile and the thumbs up. It does happen!
As well as the leafleting and canvassing I've actually spent a considerable amount of time working on my second leaflet for final week distribution. The concept for this second leaflet has been in my mind now for over two years, ever since my wife responded back in 2009 with "Everyone should be made aware of that" after I had made her aware of "it". But what is this "It"? Well, I'm obviously hoping it will give me the edge but I'll wait to reveal what's missing in a few days time! Suffice to say that working with the basic concept has seen the leaflet go through about 10 draft stages trying to pitch the wording just right. I'm very excited about it! I suppose its the accountant in me that likes presenting people with facts and data.
However I've now convinced myself that the best time to deliver is when everyone is returning from work or have had their suppers. I imagine a family sitting in front of their TV when they hear the rattle of the letterbox. One of them retrieves our leaflet and then the family take turns to read it and then together discuss its merit before resolving to vote Conservative. Perhaps just in my dreams?
When knocking on doors it has surprised (and depressed) me how many people seem proud to tell us that they don't bother to vote. One woman said "I've never voted since I was 18 and now I'm 34 and not going to start". Others are very coy about their voting intentions. What makes it worthwhile is being greeted on a doorstep with "Good luck! You've got our vote" whilst being given a smile and the thumbs up. It does happen!
As well as the leafleting and canvassing I've actually spent a considerable amount of time working on my second leaflet for final week distribution. The concept for this second leaflet has been in my mind now for over two years, ever since my wife responded back in 2009 with "Everyone should be made aware of that" after I had made her aware of "it". But what is this "It"? Well, I'm obviously hoping it will give me the edge but I'll wait to reveal what's missing in a few days time! Suffice to say that working with the basic concept has seen the leaflet go through about 10 draft stages trying to pitch the wording just right. I'm very excited about it! I suppose its the accountant in me that likes presenting people with facts and data.
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
WHAT GLORIOUS WEATHER FOR POUNDING THE PAVEMENTS
I can't believe how the wonderful the weather has been over these last few days. Given how thin my hair is on top, I should really be wearing a hat when out delivering the leaflets. Normally I'd wear a baseball cap if I was out in the midday sun on holiday but I don't want to have a "William Hague Moment" on the streets of the Claydon & Barham Ward. And introducing myself as the Conservative candidate then doing a Benny Hill salute would hardly be a vote winner, would it?!?
Today I had to take my son up to Debenham Leisure Centre as he was booked on a four hour badminton course but having dropped him off, I was able to get away for a couple of hours and deliver leaflets in the peaceful village of Hemingstone. It was just like a perfect midsummer's day and it was a delight to walk around the village. I'm always a bit wary of dogs when out in the more rural parts of the ward but today there were no problems.
Later, as a family, we delivered in Claydon village. Just as we were finishing, my wife waved to a passing car. I'd been deep in thought and hadn't noticed who it was - but my wife recognised the car as belonging to my LibDem opponent. Glorious driving weather too!
Today I had to take my son up to Debenham Leisure Centre as he was booked on a four hour badminton course but having dropped him off, I was able to get away for a couple of hours and deliver leaflets in the peaceful village of Hemingstone. It was just like a perfect midsummer's day and it was a delight to walk around the village. I'm always a bit wary of dogs when out in the more rural parts of the ward but today there were no problems.
Later, as a family, we delivered in Claydon village. Just as we were finishing, my wife waved to a passing car. I'd been deep in thought and hadn't noticed who it was - but my wife recognised the car as belonging to my LibDem opponent. Glorious driving weather too!
Saturday, 16 April 2011
CANVASSING IN HENLEY VILLAGE
We've just got back indoors after a great afternoon spent canvassing for the District elections. The two Conservative candidates (Linda and I) were joined by our local MP Dr Dan Poulter, Dr Poulter's mother, our local Conservative Association President Steve Britt (who is Linda's husband) and the Bramford & Blakenham candidate, Kevin Welsby. Taking control of the clipboard on which to record all the many positive responses to our canvas was my ten year old son, Andrew, assisted and supervised by his mother. Yes, we were certainly out in force in Henley.
Here are some of our group outside the Henley Community Centre.
(from left to right are John Whitehead, Dr Dan Poulter MP, Linda Britt and Steve Britt)
photo by Andrew Whitehead
To see the relish with which our young and dynamic MP "Dr Dan" approaches the opportunity to knock on doors and engage with the local electorate is very inspirational. With six of us knocking on doors we were able to cover a large part of the village over the course of the afternoon. I was surprised how many people were at home and overall the response was most encouraging.
We were also canvassing for a NO vote in the AV Referendum and had some new literature on this theme to hand out along with our election leaflets. I was very pleased to see this literature as only the evening before, the LibDems had leafleted my house with a handout in favour of a change to this alternative system. I was encouraged to find that the people we met over the course of the afternoon had little enthusiasm for any change to the voting system.
Later in the afternoon we travelled over to Bramford to help Kevin canvas part of his ward. As it is the first time that both Kevin and I have stood in the District elections I think the mutual support is most helpful.
Although the election is not until May 5th we are very conscious that many people now have postal votes and therefore we need to reach these people well before the election date. The next task is to reach out to the known Conservatives with postal votes to encourage them to get those votes submitted. That, along with much more leafleting and canvassing, suggests that the next week will be very hectic.
Here are some of our group outside the Henley Community Centre.
(from left to right are John Whitehead, Dr Dan Poulter MP, Linda Britt and Steve Britt)
photo by Andrew Whitehead
To see the relish with which our young and dynamic MP "Dr Dan" approaches the opportunity to knock on doors and engage with the local electorate is very inspirational. With six of us knocking on doors we were able to cover a large part of the village over the course of the afternoon. I was surprised how many people were at home and overall the response was most encouraging.
We were also canvassing for a NO vote in the AV Referendum and had some new literature on this theme to hand out along with our election leaflets. I was very pleased to see this literature as only the evening before, the LibDems had leafleted my house with a handout in favour of a change to this alternative system. I was encouraged to find that the people we met over the course of the afternoon had little enthusiasm for any change to the voting system.
Later in the afternoon we travelled over to Bramford to help Kevin canvas part of his ward. As it is the first time that both Kevin and I have stood in the District elections I think the mutual support is most helpful.
Although the election is not until May 5th we are very conscious that many people now have postal votes and therefore we need to reach these people well before the election date. The next task is to reach out to the known Conservatives with postal votes to encourage them to get those votes submitted. That, along with much more leafleting and canvassing, suggests that the next week will be very hectic.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
HOURS OF WALKING AHEAD
I picked up my election leaflets from the printers yesterday lunchtime. Now comes the task of getting them to every letterbox in the election ward. As with my previous County Council campaign, I've allocated every road to a particular "Round" and for this election there are thirteen rounds. I hope that's not an unlucky number - better make the last one 12A! The great news is that this District Ward is roughly half the size of the County Division so delivering the leaflets should be a lot easier this time round. I fact last time, it took virtually all my time just to get the leaflets delivered, leaving little time to actually knock on doors. For this election I should have time to both do the leafleting and the canvassing within a three week period.
So with 22 days to go, I've got my rounds organised and I've got a timetable planned to cover both leafleting and canvassing. The leaflets are all now batched up into their rounds ready to go:-
It is readily apparent from the photo that not all rounds are equal. I hope that doesn't offend any socialists reading this!
At some stage during the campaign my local MP is scheduled to come out to canvas with me. He's actually returning a favour, as I did a lot of legwork for him locally in the General Election 2010. But notwithstanding that, I'm really very chuffed that he's prepared to help me - and bring others along with him. I'm keeping the date 'secret' for now but intend to have pictures for the blog in due course, after the event.
So anyway, I must stop blogging now and get out pounding those pavements.
(Here's the front cover, being one eighth of the total leaflet, showing also my running mate, Linda)
So with 22 days to go, I've got my rounds organised and I've got a timetable planned to cover both leafleting and canvassing. The leaflets are all now batched up into their rounds ready to go:-
It is readily apparent from the photo that not all rounds are equal. I hope that doesn't offend any socialists reading this!
At some stage during the campaign my local MP is scheduled to come out to canvas with me. He's actually returning a favour, as I did a lot of legwork for him locally in the General Election 2010. But notwithstanding that, I'm really very chuffed that he's prepared to help me - and bring others along with him. I'm keeping the date 'secret' for now but intend to have pictures for the blog in due course, after the event.
So anyway, I must stop blogging now and get out pounding those pavements.
(Here's the front cover, being one eighth of the total leaflet, showing also my running mate, Linda)
Monday, 4 April 2011
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE CAMPAIGN
Today, Monday 4th April 2011, the nominations closed for the Mid Suffolk District Council elections being held on Thursday 5th May. I'm standing as one of the two Conservative Party candidates in the Claydon & Barham Ward. There are two seats in this ward and when nominations closed at midday there were eight validated candidates standing. As well as myself and Linda Britt for the Conservatives, there are two LibDem candidates (who are our present councillors), two Labour Party candidates as well a Green Party candidate and an independent Suffolk Together candidate.
With eight candidates contesting two seats it should be an exciting election campaign. There will be a variety of viewpoints on offer and democracy should be the winner. Over the next four and a half weeks I hope you'll return to my blog for regular updates on the campaign.
With eight candidates contesting two seats it should be an exciting election campaign. There will be a variety of viewpoints on offer and democracy should be the winner. Over the next four and a half weeks I hope you'll return to my blog for regular updates on the campaign.
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