Today I shall be mostly helping to canvass for the Tory Party in BN1

[Deleted User X18H]

I'm intrigued - how does one become a canvasser for a major political party?

Presumably you approached your local Conservative party office or similar Tim? When was that and what happens next? How do they vet you to make sure that...

a) You really are 'on side' (i.e. not a member of the opposition out to scupper your rivals).
b) You are considered to be a good face for your chosen party in the face of the electorate at large.

I converse with Charlotte Vere on Twitter and am a member of Hove Conservative Club. I also know Mike Weatherly. I got in touch with the campaign office in Portslade!!

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Good question, and I can't say I have a ready-made answer.

I'll have a punt at it, but I would say I don't know that 'families' is strictly the issue in the split between Labour and Green.

I'd have to spend a bit more time thinking about it, but one thing I think is that it's more that the non-car/anti-car philosophy from the centre of the city/Hanover area (Greens' strongest area) isn't such an issue for the more affluent/aspirational attitude of what is now the Preston Park area.

Should the Green vote get stronger anywhere in the city, it would probably be this area which would be the next to 'fall'. The Greens are getting stronger in this area (which has been fairly strong Labour for about 20 years) now; the Preston Park ward has two Labour and one Green councillor.

The march of the Greens just hasn't completely reached this part of suburbia. Yet.

Around here, I feel that there is quite a sense of community - it's an aspiring but artistic/alternative area, and it ties in with that togetherness and non/anti-competitveness which rejects Conservatism.

It's a tricky one because on the surface, the area - at a glance - has the feel of a true blue area, but this is Brighton, which likes to be different, and which doesn't always behave that way.

Of course, the Preston Park ward is a very different animal from the Preston ward which existed before. I think the old ward boundary used to run up Stanford Avenue, which seemed quite sensible, as it has always felt to me that when one turns left at the bottom of Preston Park, one is leaving suburbia and entering the city proper. I think Preston Drove is now the boundary, with only a very small part of the old Preston ward in the new Preston Park, which is really the northern parts of the old St Peter's and Seven Dials wards, both of which of course used to be rock-solid Labour. Returning to my original point, on the last day of the 2004-05 season, after we had just avoided relegation from the Championship, I went for a drive poster spotting (being the sad political nut I am), and there were green posters everywhere around Clifton Hill (Powis Grove, etc), whereas in the Port Hall area, I only saw Labour posters. I wonder if that is still the case.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Of course, the Preston Park ward is a very different animal from the Preston ward which existed before. I think the old ward boundary used to run up Stanford Avenue, which seemed quite sensible, as it has always felt to me that when one turns left at the bottom of Preston Park, one is leaving suburbia and entering the city proper. I think Preston Drove is now the boundary, with only a very small part of the old Preston ward in the new Preston Park, which is really the northern parts of the old St Peter's and Seven Dials wards, both of which of course used to be rock-solid Labour. Returning to my original point, on the last day of the 2004-05 season, after we had just avoided relegation from the Championship, I went for a drive poster spotting (being the sad political nut I am), and there were green posters everywhere around Clifton Hill (Powis Grove, etc), whereas in the Port Hall area, I only saw Labour posters. I wonder if that is still the case.

Green Posters everywhere eh? Didn't win ......did they?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

So I expect it is about 8/1 in favour of the tories in BN1.

Tim, you and I support the same party, but that really is wishful thinking. There are only two Tory wards in Brighton Pavilion, Patcham and Withdean, even though those are very safe (though I suspect Cleggmania has made them less so), but the party is nowhere in any other ward, even Hollingbury and Stanmer, which is traditional Labour supporters rather than trendies/arty types, who might have been expected to come over if they were fed up with the current government. I had given this seat up a long time ago as a possible gain. I spoke to a Green campaigner at church today, who is still confident that they will win (though they are themselves worried about the Liberal surge).

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Tim, you and I support the same party, but that really is wishful thinking. There are only two Tory wards in Brighton Pavilion, Patcham and Withdean, even though those are very safe (though I suspect Cleggmania has made them less so), but the party is nowhere in any other ward, even Hollingbury and Stanmer, which is traditional Labour supporters rather than trendies/arty types, who might have been expected to come over if they were fed up with the current government. I had given this seat up a long time ago as a possible gain. I spoke to a Green campaigner at church today, who is still confident that they will win (though they are themselves worried about the Liberal surge).

I spoke with a Green campaigner at Church today also wasn't St Johns Knoyle Road was it?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Do the Tory's still act on behalf of TOFFS all over the country to try make the rich richer and the poor poorer? Serious question - i know nothing about politics...

No, Blair does that, along with Mandelson, who said that he couldn't care less if people were stinking rich. Blair, by the way, went to Fettes, Scotland's equivalent to Eton. As for Eton Rifles, Weller sent his son to private school (not that it worries me, I am an enormous fan of his music), and one of the former band members sent his son to, wait.....Eton.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Excellent.

And evidence that Old Labour still has a presence in the area.

From the Ian Mikardo book on how to run an election campaign:-

23. ALWAYS invite a Tory canvasser in for tea and cake. It means they will get to knock on fewer doors.

47. Encourage all Labour supporters to phone the Tories on election day and book a car for a lift to the polling station.

47(a). Apart from anything else, they have better cars.

Of course, if you're a Green, you won't be accepting a lift by car, will you?

 

[1066 seagull]

The Jam and Eton - I knew about the Modfather sending his kids to private school - something to do with not wanting his offspring to speak like Ali G but surely the comment above about one of the other Jam members sending his kid to Eton is a fib. Last I heard Bruce and Rick were on the pub circuit trying to bring in the pennies...

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I spoke with a Green campaigner at Church today also wasn't St Johns Knoyle Road was it?

Nope, St Margaret's West Hoathly. He is campaigning in BP though. Thought that would raise your ire. He is from Sussex though, and a good friend of mine, even though our political views don't exactly coincide.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

What does make me laugh though is how during the Falmer campaign we had Limp Dums, Fib Dems, de Vagi, Norman Baker is a ****, etc, then when suddenly it looks like they may prevent a Tory victory, they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Make up your minds!!

What I will say is that from my experience of political campaigning, the Liberal Democrats can be the dirtiest bunch of shysters out, never mind Tories or Labour. My younger brother is a political agent in Hertfordshire, and he can confirm this. Not doing well in an election (he is responsible for Council elections each year as well as general elections), oh well, just print a leaflet with a load of unfounded allegations. With Labour one has a good, clean fight. I have every respect for a lot of Labour people; when I worked in Youth Justice in the Home Office, Paul Goggins and Baroness Scotland were first class ministers. As for the Lib Dems, just a couple of examples are enough. When Peter Tatchell stood for election in Bermondsey against Simon Hughes, there were Liberal leaflets saying, "Simon Hughes, the straight choice". It turned out Hughes was bisexual. He was not responsible for the leaflet - his party workers were. Other false leaflets were produced before a by-election at Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire. Mind you, well I have a number of other stories which need not be repeated on here, but by and large, I do not trust them.

 

[The Large One]

EVERY party misbehaves. The Bermondsey one is quite famous, but they all indulge in dirty tricks.

I'm just waiting for the chocolate sauce-laden bitchfight involving the candidates in Brighotn Pavilion.

One thing I would say that I forgot earlier - when talking to Nancy Platts, I realised she scrubs up much better in real life than in her publicity photos. Not that that is changing my view on voting, but in the polls for 'Would you...?', she has just gone up one notch.

 

[Bozza]

There's some delightful stuff being done on behalf of the Conservative party in Brighton.

Example...

1. go to Tweet Convo - Thread your Twitter Conversations
2. enter 12833961543

 

[The Large One]

There's some delightful stuff being done on behalf of the Conservative party in Brighton.

Example...

1. go to Tweet Convo - Thread your Twitter Conversations
2. enter 12833961543

Bloody hell - he's putting the same shit on there as well.

He really does believe what he's writing. I just assumed he was on a pompous wind-up.

 

[Bozza]

I thought this one was a bit rich, given the shit he spews on here...

Tweet Convo - Thread your Twitter Conversations
12832668354

 

[vegster]

Bloody hell - he's putting the same shit on there as well.

He really does believe what he's writing. I just assumed he was on a pompous wind-up.

I think this is just some form of " Keyboard Masochism ", whereby Bald & Unread derives some kind of thrill by being abused electronicaly.

To quote Oscar Wilde, " The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about "

 

[Gwylan]

There's some delightful stuff being done on behalf of the Conservative party in Brighton.

Example...

1. go to Tweet Convo - Thread your Twitter Conversations
2. enter 12833961543

"A few houses around5 ways may have a Green poster but Conservatives are just that.They don't flaunt their opinion in the baywindow "

Just who is number one person on NSC for flaunting his opinion? (after US, obviously)

 

[User removed 4]

which is traditional Labour supporters rather than trendies/arty types,

I.E Most of their support on here

 

[User removed 4]

From what i have seen, to become a Tory canvasser you have to prove yourself too stupid to be a parliamentary or council candidate mixed with a natural cap toffing inferiority complex. For most people, this could prove quite a challenge, but Timmy was born to it.

or too stupid to realise its cap DOFFING , rather than TOFFING ?

 

[User removed 4]

The Jam and Eton - I knew about the Modfather sending his kids to private school - something to do with not wanting his offspring to speak like Ali G but surely the comment above about one of the other Jam members sending his kid to Eton is a fib. Last I heard Bruce and Rick were on the pub circuit trying to bring in the pennies...

nope, iago foxton entered eton in 1997.

 

[WATFORD zero]

or too stupid to realise its cap DOFFING , rather than TOFFING ?

I quite happily concede to the expert