Seriously, where did the last two months go?
I had genuinely intended to blog, you know, some, in the last eight weeks. In truth I have six or seven rambling unpublished posts, I've simply been to distracted to concentrate on saying anything articulate.
I have not, however, been idle. I've been canvassing, doing leaflet drops and doing my bit to help our PPC, Mark Jewell, with his canvassing. There's been plenty of other things going on in my day to day life too, but the details of those are for another time and place.
One of the new experiencesI've had has been the nomination process, where with the help of a copy of the electoral register for your polling district, you have to get ten people (one nominator, a seconder, and eight 'subscribers') to sign your nomination form. The reason of this I am told is to prove that you a) have the wherewithall to go out and speak to voters and b) can show at that to at least ten people, the idea of seeing your name on the ballot is not completely reprehensible.
The last week has seen me incredibly nervous, this is a new experience after all. Although for all intents and purposes I am a paper candidate, I would quite like to win. But in winning, there is a double edged sword: on the one hand, people putting their faith in me by electing me to the council will be a great honour and I'll feel rather good about myself; but on the other hand, that many people putting their faith in me will lead to me feeling under pressure not to let them down.
As I am writing this the polls are about to close and I am growing more and more nervous. However the one thing that encourages me is the fact that the turnout today has been incredibly high, with a high percentage of young and first time voters. I feel I've had a small hand in encouraging people to vote, and feel I can take that as a small victory.
Fingers crossed, eh.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
A Good Start
Being a potential canditidate for the local elections still feels very strange. This is very much a new experience, despite having been involved in the machinations of local politics before. However, the support from family and friends has been amazing. Of course, I knew my family would be supportive, it's what families do, but I have been surprised and delighted by the level of enthusiasm shown by friends and work colleagues. Most especially, the level of dissappointment in onel close friend when they realised that they live just outside University ward and won't be able to support me with their vote (obviously, I've suggested he vote for John Potter instead).
During the last week I have had my first Focus leaflet published. Thanks to John Potter, it is up to the high standard I am used to seeing on his own Focus leaflets as a resident of Tulketh Ward. Along with help from Liam Pennington they've now all been distributed around University Ward. The stop-start plod as one checks yet again to see if you're on the correct side of a certain street to be within the ward boundary a welcome familiar aspect of this whole experience.
I have already had some feedback from the leaflets. Oddly enough it was on tuesday night whilst working in Warehouse nightclub. A customer and her firend came up to me and said they had seen the leaflet and that they like the fact that there is someone they can vote for whom they know to see around and feel they can approach. So I'm officially pleasant and approachable, a good start I think.
I also attended my first PACT meeting this week, where I met some of my potential constituents, several of the Police officers and PCSO's working in the ward, as well as Carl Crompton, the current Councillor for the ward. As it was my first meeting I didn't make a point of introducing myself to everyone, but nonetheless I was made to feel welcome.
It is nice to see the Police and PCSO's taking PACT meetings as seriously as they do as it shows to me a commitment to the community that I feel many people simply do not believe exists. I also think now that maybe I should have been attending PACT meetings before deciding to stand, as I like to think of myself as an active member of the community, and these are an important part of that. I can safely say that these meetings will be important and useful in becoming better connected with the community, and becoming a more active part of it, and I will be encouraging others to attend in future.
During the last week I have had my first Focus leaflet published. Thanks to John Potter, it is up to the high standard I am used to seeing on his own Focus leaflets as a resident of Tulketh Ward. Along with help from Liam Pennington they've now all been distributed around University Ward. The stop-start plod as one checks yet again to see if you're on the correct side of a certain street to be within the ward boundary a welcome familiar aspect of this whole experience.
I have already had some feedback from the leaflets. Oddly enough it was on tuesday night whilst working in Warehouse nightclub. A customer and her firend came up to me and said they had seen the leaflet and that they like the fact that there is someone they can vote for whom they know to see around and feel they can approach. So I'm officially pleasant and approachable, a good start I think.
I also attended my first PACT meeting this week, where I met some of my potential constituents, several of the Police officers and PCSO's working in the ward, as well as Carl Crompton, the current Councillor for the ward. As it was my first meeting I didn't make a point of introducing myself to everyone, but nonetheless I was made to feel welcome.
It is nice to see the Police and PCSO's taking PACT meetings as seriously as they do as it shows to me a commitment to the community that I feel many people simply do not believe exists. I also think now that maybe I should have been attending PACT meetings before deciding to stand, as I like to think of myself as an active member of the community, and these are an important part of that. I can safely say that these meetings will be important and useful in becoming better connected with the community, and becoming a more active part of it, and I will be encouraging others to attend in future.
Monday, January 25, 2010
University Ward
Just a quick update as a number of people have asked what area University Ward actually covers, so heres a map:
The area in RED is University Ward, meaning the streets between eldon street and Fylde Road roundabout on the west side of Plungington and Adelphi street, and the area around SSt Mark's Road, Pedder Street and Marsh Lane.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The First Fortnight
It's been a strange old fortnight.
If anyone had asked me fourteen days ago if I had any plans to go into politics, I would have said no. But then, having spent the last few years getting my degree, getting married and starting a family, my mind has been on things other than the state of the nation. Having said that, it's not as if I have deliberately ignored politics, far from it, I simply haven't engaged in many frank discussions over recent years. This is not deliberate, very few of my friends are a-political, the subject simply rarely comes up.
This changed last year during the run up to the european and local elections. I became aware through a number of friends that there was a rise in far right politics in Preston, something which worried me greatly. I started to notice the increase in badly spelt racist graffitti, and then the leaflets started coming through the door.
Now, I understand the need for candidates to canvas during the run up to an election, which obviously means distributing literature which supports your campaign. I also accept that, for example, a party political pamphlet might use a quote or fact out of context in order to grab attention so you read further, or make a point. I draw the line however, at attempts to feed me lies, slander and incitement.
I got a little angry. Then I felt frustrated, I had no way of fighting this other than voting, and trying to persuade others to vote. This didn't seem like enough. I needed to channel my frustration, so I deceided to organise an event for Love Music Hate Racism called 'Love Dubstep, Hate Racism' which was moderately successful, and there are plans to do more events in the same name. At the same time as this I started to attend anti-BNP rallies.
I suppose this is when my firend Liam (Pennington, LibDem candidate for Riversway) realised that I might be politically inclined, and we became closer, having only really been passing acquaintances before this point, and I started to discuss politics with my friends more.
The elections came and went. I was largely pleased with the result (I was especially pleased for Liam who got his best ever result), but if I am honest, other than being more actively interested politics than I have since my late teens, not a great deal had changed. Then, two weeks ago Liam mentioned to me that the Liberal Democrats were without a candidate for University Ward, and would I consider sanding as a paper candidate?
My immediate respons to this question was 'If I stand, it won't be as a paper candidate, I'll do it properly, otherwise there's no point.' So, I went away and thought, hard. Firstly I discussed it with my wife, we don't always agree on politics, and so it as important to me to have her support, but she didn't hesitate for a second. Secondly, I had a long talk with my Dad. Both of my parents were invlolved with the SDP and Liberal Party from the beginning of the eighties up until the formation of the Liberal Democrats in 1988. Dad stood a number of times in local elections and canvassed for Shirley Williams, so his experience and embarrassing stories about me apparenly being sick on Cyril Smith when I was very small have had a large part in the process of making my decision.
And so, here I am. A fully paid up member of the Liberal Democrat Party, and as soon as my membership number arrives, I shall be officially listed as a prospective candidate for University Ward in the 2010 local election.
Fingers crossed.
If anyone had asked me fourteen days ago if I had any plans to go into politics, I would have said no. But then, having spent the last few years getting my degree, getting married and starting a family, my mind has been on things other than the state of the nation. Having said that, it's not as if I have deliberately ignored politics, far from it, I simply haven't engaged in many frank discussions over recent years. This is not deliberate, very few of my friends are a-political, the subject simply rarely comes up.
This changed last year during the run up to the european and local elections. I became aware through a number of friends that there was a rise in far right politics in Preston, something which worried me greatly. I started to notice the increase in badly spelt racist graffitti, and then the leaflets started coming through the door.
Now, I understand the need for candidates to canvas during the run up to an election, which obviously means distributing literature which supports your campaign. I also accept that, for example, a party political pamphlet might use a quote or fact out of context in order to grab attention so you read further, or make a point. I draw the line however, at attempts to feed me lies, slander and incitement.
I got a little angry. Then I felt frustrated, I had no way of fighting this other than voting, and trying to persuade others to vote. This didn't seem like enough. I needed to channel my frustration, so I deceided to organise an event for Love Music Hate Racism called 'Love Dubstep, Hate Racism' which was moderately successful, and there are plans to do more events in the same name. At the same time as this I started to attend anti-BNP rallies.
I suppose this is when my firend Liam (Pennington, LibDem candidate for Riversway) realised that I might be politically inclined, and we became closer, having only really been passing acquaintances before this point, and I started to discuss politics with my friends more.
The elections came and went. I was largely pleased with the result (I was especially pleased for Liam who got his best ever result), but if I am honest, other than being more actively interested politics than I have since my late teens, not a great deal had changed. Then, two weeks ago Liam mentioned to me that the Liberal Democrats were without a candidate for University Ward, and would I consider sanding as a paper candidate?
My immediate respons to this question was 'If I stand, it won't be as a paper candidate, I'll do it properly, otherwise there's no point.' So, I went away and thought, hard. Firstly I discussed it with my wife, we don't always agree on politics, and so it as important to me to have her support, but she didn't hesitate for a second. Secondly, I had a long talk with my Dad. Both of my parents were invlolved with the SDP and Liberal Party from the beginning of the eighties up until the formation of the Liberal Democrats in 1988. Dad stood a number of times in local elections and canvassed for Shirley Williams, so his experience and embarrassing stories about me apparenly being sick on Cyril Smith when I was very small have had a large part in the process of making my decision.
And so, here I am. A fully paid up member of the Liberal Democrat Party, and as soon as my membership number arrives, I shall be officially listed as a prospective candidate for University Ward in the 2010 local election.
Fingers crossed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)