We were freezing yesterday, yet it was great to campaign, in the icy conditions, handing out leaflets around Bush Fair. We got a good response from local shoppers, who were pleased to see us out in force. Only one person was hostile, who said he was a socialist, but wouldn't be voting Labour!
I was struck by how many people were willing to talk and ask questions about political issues. It is a fashionable thing to say that people are not interested in politics, but I found this to be far from the case. I was asked about a range of issues from housing to taxes. Most people are pessimistic about the high debt, high unemployment, and high taxes and worry about Gordon Brown's failure to get a grip on spending.
Former Liberal activist Colleen Morrison was with me. She works in Bush Fair and introduced me to a number of shop-keepers that she knows. It was interesting to hear their views as to what is happening regarding the economy.
I have to admit, I was glad when we decided to stop, as I was getting quite cold! I only had one thing left to do and that was to buy some excellent meat at David Shepard butchers (I think the last family run butchers in Harlow). Se the picture below from My Harlow.com.
I also could not resist some bread pudding from Andersons (a particular favourite). I am looking forward to some delicious Roast Lamb this week!
P.S. The very top picture shows left to right: Cllr. Clive Souter, Colleen Morrison, myself and John Steer. We are just by Colleen' s business, MRB recruitment, next to Andersons the bakery.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
P.S. The very top picture shows left to right: Cllr. Clive Souter, Colleen Morrison, myself and John Steer. We are just by Colleen' s business, MRB recruitment, next to Andersons the bakery.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Good post, Rob, and thank you for the plug for MRB and other Bush Fair businesses.
ReplyDeleteI blogged about our successful canvassing at Bush Fair earlier on the Conservative blog 'Newmania', the blog of my, Paul Newman. I took issue with Paul over his critique of Sunder Catwalah's post about society and recalled the experience of our Bush Fair canvassing to support my view of society. Paul had said:
" “Society” is a Marxist concept not a reality. Whilst Margaret Thatcher was making only a traditional conservative point it is not a ‘construct’ immune from question , what , when you come to think of it is “society” ?...It is the destruction of the whole man and his replacement with a battery chicken peeking out of cage unable to walk or even eat unaided" "
My reply:
"It is the destruction of the whole man and his replacement with a battery chicken peeking out of cage unable to walk or even eat unaided"
A brilliant euphemism which would be even more brilliant if you'd said destruction of the whole man and woman...or, dare I say it?...the whole person. That's exactly how it is. I would only take odds with you on one point: your view of society.
Out on the campaign trail, slipping and sliding around a shopping centre on the freezing snow, yesterday, we campaigned up a storm merely because there is such a thing as society and, as Cameron so rightly observed, it's just not the same as the state.
I was told to focus on three policy areas, but in those conditions (let's be honest, in any conditions) there was only one way to meaningfully connect with people: to share their concerns and hopes in a way which (quickly, for they were frozen to the marrow) set up a warm community of mutual understanding, confidence, respect and mutual support between us.
"Are you, like me, sick of Gordon Brown and Labour and worried sick about what they're doing to our country?"
Most didn't even need to reply, the instant, painful recognition and concern on their faces said it all. In that instant, we had a caring community and society out there on the freezing ice alright.
All that remained was to say that David Cameron and our brilliant candidate over here would love to speak to them about how, with the help of Labour, Lib and Conservative voters like them, they so want the chance to try to put it right. Let's give them the chance, shall we?
The heartening response we received from our the people of our local community warmed me to the marrow, newms.
Then I followed up with the following on Newmania:
ReplyDeleteAnd just to prove it, Newms, here's me with our ace candidate, Rob Halfon (in the cap) about to have a cuppa and warm up in my office. Note the cup im my hand, the tea towel is hidden behind my back. Gaud, we earned that cuppa yesterday.
http://tweetphoto.com/8363355
What a billiant candidate Rob Halfon is, by the way, every day he triumphs over the effects of the cerebral palsy he was born with. Yesterday, while New Labourites were hunched in front of their taxpayer funded fires, courageous Rob (a future Prime Minister?) was hopping around on the ice and campaiging up a storm on crutches.
Pop into Rob's blog and wish him good luck!