Campaign Diary - Day Five

Well today turned out to be as hectic as I predicted yesterday! we started the day bright and early in the Bowthorpe Main Centre, handing out leaflets and holding an "NHS surgery" (of the political sort) to see what people's views on health are. We got a gerat response, and it is interesting that the vast majority of people have a better personal experience of the NHS than they percieve as the national picture. There was a lot of talk about Tory plans to make cancer drugs more widely available. In addition the other thing that came across strongly was that people felt there was a lot of waste in the NHS that could be redirected back into frontline services.

From Bowthorpe to the doorsteps of Eaton Village where the talk moved from health to the political system. The Tory posters here clearly outnumbering all other parties it was a good reception. We met quite a lot of LibDem voters who want change and Gordon Brown out of Downing Street so are voting Conservative this time. Many people said they would be concerned by a hung pariament and that Clegg would prop up Labour (with good reasoning- the LibDems have done little else but back Labour against the Conservatives this week, to little avail).

From Eaton we went to the Anglia Square shopping centre for the seocnd half of the NHyeS day of action. We met a team working on Chloe Smith's campaign and also by South Norfolk's Tory Leader John Fuller. It was very much little good old fashioned soap-box politics (JM would be proud). Plenty of debate, some genuine disagreement and people really wanting to engage. The eprson who sticks in my mind was a young Mum who said she was furious with Labour for their scare stories about Tory policies on Sure Start. Parties shouldn't ever do this to people.

And then, finally, over to Town Close and another batch of deliveries. The shoe leather took a pounding but it was worth it to get the last of the leaflets out here. And tonight another mamouth session of replying to constituents letters and emails - am enjoying every minute.

And tomorrow - well, tomorrow belongs to my three lovely young ladies!

At Last - CCTV in the Castle Gardens

A big word of congratulations to my Bowthorpe Conservative colleague, Cllr. Niki George, who has won his long campaign to get CCTV installed into the Castle Gardens to tackle anti-social behaviour (click here for more).

Cllr George has really pushed this inssue, including multiple questions to council; the re-buffs he got from Labour on the issue made him more determined to do this.

This kind of news shows why grassroots democracy is so important; it can pay off if you have the determination. Well Done Niki.

Labour in Bowthorpe

The Bowthorpe page on the Labour Website says everything about their ideas for - and chances in - the community.

Clover Hill Community Association: Proving communities can work together and succeed

Thursday night I was invited to attend the AGM of the Clover Hill Community Association; as a group they help to develop communitiy facilities within the area and administer the village hall too. I go around a lot of voluntary and community groups in the constituency and beyond and many (but not all) are suffering from lack of membership and/or interest. Some meetings are downright depressing with campaigners, weighed down by events, declaring that it is all falling apart! Well, this was nothing like that ...

... For a start it was combined with a great BBQ which lifted spirits and the short AGM meeting became more of a social event. We were pleased to hear from Bowthorpe's Canon Simon Stokes on his recent visit to India and what Indian communities, especially some of the poorer ones, can teach us in the West. He was extremely amusing to listen to and had a great message about what we can achieve together.

So from that we were told that the Community Hall made a finanical loss and that groups who used it were shutting down. The boiler was broken and more money was needed ... but this was not a miserable whinge - far from it! People there elected a large and keen new committee. Their costs are under control and they are actively seeking new users for the hall. They are pro-actively applying for grants and funding. The deficit is being reduced. The hall is being used almost to capacity. There is a genuine sense of optimism and enthusiasm about what can be achieved. The CHCA is a model for other such groups and I would suggest that Chair Mrs Wright and Secretary Mrs Sexton are well worth contacting for advice if your group needs it.

Norwich is full of really good community and voluntary groups and we should never forget that!

The Results!

It was a strange feeling not having the count straight after polling day; you might have thought that we'd get some rest ready for the next day. But no; it was a party straight after and with the Euro verification dragging on we felt just as tired by the end of Friday than we would have just counting into the night!

The results for the Conservatives were oustanding; 60 seats out of 84, with some movement forward for the Greens (though in Norwich only), the LibDems slipped back again and Labour were virtually wiped out. Labour won just 3 seats across the whole of Norfolk - two in Norwich (University and Crome) and one in Yarmouth. UKIP picked up a seat in Yarmouth - but the real story was the Tory wave that knocked Labour out of their urban heartlands; Thetford, Dereham, Yarmouth, Kings Lynn, Bowthorpe, Catton ... they kept falling.

Here in the City, the Greens did pull off the big shocks. Paul Wells and Charlotte Casimir won our target seats of Bowthorpe and Catton Grove respectively; with the Tories coming agonisingly close in Crome and Eaton too. The LibDems picked up Lakenham but lost Thorpe Hamlet. The Greens, as expeced, won in Wensum, Mancroft, Nelson & Town Close. But when they also won Sewell and Mile Cross you knew something big had happened. Norwich Labour seem like they are living on borrowed time. These were even stranger because they were outside the Green "Norwich South" comfort zone.

In the end the vastly expensive LibDem campaign - including some very negative tactics which may yet re-bound on them - got them nowhere. Brian Watkins, a thoroughly decent man, shouldn't let the rogue elements of his party drag down his name like this. Labour looked exhausted by the end and the Greens jubilant.

But, of course, the Tories emerged victorious both on total Norfolk terms and with our new City-division Councillors. A good result all round!

The European Factor

The one thing which is very difficult to determine is how far the European elections are going to impact on the political scene, and the local political scene, after 4th June. Yesterday (Friday) we welcomed two of the people at the heart of the European election to Norwich - Vicky Ford and John Flack, who are third and fourth on the Tory list. If the Conservatives do as well on 4th June as they did in 2004 then Vicky will be elected (a good thing in itself) and if they do better then John will also take a seat - most likely one of those held by UKIP.

First thing we did a walk-a-bout in the City Centre and Market to talk to people and try to raise awareness of the election. It was amazingly successful; I am a veteran of 12 years of these sorts of things and the reception from shoppers and stallholders alike was extremely positive. Many more than I expected were aware of the poll and a great number expected to vote. The distrust of the government was palpable and there is a clear sense that only the Conservatives can sort if out. Certainly no support, that spoke to us anyway, for the weak LibDems or even the Greens. Interestingly the European issue seemed to only be secondary; with most people determined to use this a referendum on Gordon Brown and the government.

After seeing the Hay Hill Art Project (utter waste of cash) and the terrible state of the war memorial (cash starved - QED) we went onto a coffee morning in Thorpe Hamlet to meet around 50 local residents; the questions ranged from MPs expenses to crime and drugs, so a very interesting morning indeed.

So onto today ... and I did campaigning sessions in 4 different areas. The reception around Bowthorpe this morning was outstanding. Lots of people in and very keen to talk with a great focus on local issues. In Eaton, however, the European election did spark some debate on the doorsteps. Finally this evening, in Town Close, people were very forthright on the EU side of the debate, esepcially the referendum-that-wasn't on the Lisbon Treaty. I think, overall, the European elections in bouying support for the Conservatives overall. All of the candidates and campaigners in those areas did very well today and we contacted literally hundreds upon hundreds of people; thank you everyone.

I will leave this thread with one thought; a couple of people said to me that they plan to vote Conservative in the local elections but may use Europe as a chance to back another party (before anyone gets huffy, this includes a lady who admitted to voting LibDem last year). I would urge people to vote Conservative twice as the only way to send a coherent message to Gordon Brown about the way he is running (or ruining) our country.

The Truth About the Play Parks

I was very pleased to note the honesty of Labour's Bert Bremner in the Evening News when he acknowledged that I had voted at council to support Bowthorpe residents with a massive injection of cash into our play parks. I am grateful to Bert, but it is a pity though that this honesty didn't make it into the latest Labour leaflets in the area which make claims about both myself and my colleagues in Bowthorpe. Maybe I could take this chance to set the record straight?

At that meeting we were being asked to vote for a big package of spending which included money for the playparks in Bowthorpe, as well as elsewhere in the City. I had some doubts about the package as a whole but I could not see this vital invetsment into my community be lost. That is why I voted in favour of the investment; in addition I would have spoken up on this too but unfortunately I was not called to speak in the debate despite wanting to.

However Labour seem not to recognise this fact; nevermind that the weak LibDem opposition at City Hall failed to support the money altogether, they must be so worried about the threat that the Conservatives pose that they attack me personally over this issue.

At the time my colleague Councillors were unable to make that vote; it was before the Conservative triumph in the by-election and thus Andrew Wiltshire wasn't elected. Sadly Niki George was very ill on the day of the meeting and wasn't well enough to stay until the end. The fact that Niki dragged himself into City Hall when very ill to oppose Labour's 3.9% council tax hike and rent hikes for council tenants was quite impressive; but still Labour wish to blacken his name by accusing him of deliberately not staying for the vote. You might have thought that given their troubles with Labour trying to smear Conservatives they would have thought this through more carefully.

So I really want the people of Bowthorpe and Earlham to know exactly what their Councillors did and why - honestly and openly. It is sad that Labour cannot find a way to campaign in a positive way; such negative and dishonest attacks only turn people off voting altogether. I want the Conservative campaign in this election to be honest, upbeat and positive about our local communities and what we can achieve together.

Back on the Campaign Trail

The Bowthorpe by-election is hardly behind us and we are already back out on the streets campaigning for the upcoming European and County elections. Our candidates nominations are ready, the leaflets are printed and its time to hit the streets ...

Last night I canvassed in West Earlham and tonight it was Clover Hill; the response was very good for the Conservatives but slightly worrying for politics generally and turnout specifically. A lot of people in the ward groan at the thought of another election and trying to impress the importance is vital. The fact that we have a real local candidate in Bowthorpe has gone down very well and our year round campaigning is appreciated. Early days yet, but it is good to be doorknocking again - a fantastic way to keep up with casework!

In the next few days I am helping out other candidates around the City and will keep you updated with the campaign and the issues being raised.

Working Hard for Bowthorpe - All Year Around!

And that's not just an election slogan! I must admit that I took the weekend after the by-election off, mainly to see my kids again, but this week has been straight back into it. The bizarre twilight world of the by-election meant that a number of other issues took a back seat, but they are all back on the agenda now.

On Tuesday night I attended the Lord Mayor's Business Reception at Norwich Castle which was an excellent event; not only well attended but the quality of the debate - particularly on the round table - was impressive. It became very clear that business wants a low tax, low intereferance attitude from the City Hall; faciliate business, they urged. There was good support for a number of the cultural functions of the council (elephants, ice trail etc) and an interesting split over transport (some for more road closures, others for opening up more routes).

Tonight I did a street meeting with residents about pavement issues in Clover Hill, cyclists on pavements and repairing roads. I met with one of the City engineers to talk to residents abot an action plan and I think everyone left happy; nice to have a bright evening to stand outside and chat! Then I had a Bowthorpe Ward Councillors meeting and onto the Bowthorpe Community Partnership where, amongst other things, we heard a report of the opening of the new Youth & Community Centre and concerns about the state of Bowthorpe Hall Road.

And the rest of the evening has been catching up on correspondance and the like. A busy life ...

I wonder if anonymous will comment again?

This gem of a comment appeared on a previous thread; I wonder if the secretive owner will now post a response? I doubt it, but I can live in hope.

Great real Little - the Dims are going to win Bowthorpe and you know it.They were storming around Bowthorpe delivering egg blue handwritten letters while you guys were pushing out the same crappy black and white rubbish with terrible photos.What will you feel like when Simon Wright's machine gets to work in your little nest egg in Bowthorpe? Looking forward to your election against the type of campaign you've seen in the last 5 weeks? Enjoy your council allowance while you can.

Apparently, anon, people liked the "crappy black and white rubbish" because it featured local issues with real solutions to problems rather than "mass printed to look like handwritten letters" which were strings of meaningless nonsense. I know this because the Conservatives got more votes than the LibDems. The thing is that day after the poll, the LibDem campaigners have all gone home, only here because it was a by-election, whereas everyone involved in our campaign is still here because we were all local. The Norwich Tory campaign team that took on and beat the Norfolk LibDem juggernault is very much ready to go. Quite frankly, if this is the best that Wright and his team can do then I say of the next election - BRING IT ON.

The LibDems can take no comfort from Bowthorpe

I am going to make some early remarks about the by-election; and I stress early because I have been so tired I haven’t really thought through all the angles. I also hope this to be an honest account of what happened.

For those who do not know the circumstances or the campaign on the ground or the local factors this could be a confusing result; on sites like Vote-2007 a lot of people simply applied the polls or the national situation to the result. Many people thought that could lead to a Labour win. I have to say, the one result that – until the day – I thought utterly unlikely was the Labour win. On the day it was clear that Labour was moving its core block-vote and a lower turnout could have meant them squeaking back in. That is why the utterly efficient Tory get-out-the-vote was so important.

It is also important to remember the history of the ward; a factor which is largely ignored in the analysis of the result. Bowthorpe had, for a very long time indeed, been Labour’s safest City berth. The challengers in the ward were the LibDems, and after a narrower result in 2000 – if I recall correctly Labour held on by a couple of hundred – the war settled down into a familiar pattern of results. When I took over as candidate, Labour were polling around 1100, LibDems 750 and Tories 350. In 2003, the year I first stood, it was Labour 1100, LibDems 614, Tories 609. So, remember, this ward has a longer LibDem history and has a big LibDem vote within it; much larger than the natural Tory bloc. The reason that the LibDem advance looked so impressive is that the Conservatives had squeezed their vote so effectively in the 04-08 period and they were starting from an ultra-low base of around 195 votes. So when I see LibDems claiming a hell-of-a-result, I really want to point out that this was exactly the same sort of result they have always got in this ward.

Then there was the campaign itself. The LibDem bandwagon hit Bowthorpe hard; they produced at least 9 A3 leaflets during the campaign, on top of god knows how many more plus direct mail. The LibDems pounced on this ward the day after John died and relentlessly pursued it in the next 7 weeks. The sheer weight of campaign support they received was phenomenal; I have never seen anything like it – something the Tory Party ought to take note of. Nobody could deny the effort that went in; they imported campaign organisers and their Eastern Region Director was here for the whole of the campaign. Labour had, similarly, support from amongst others their London Campaign Director. We had no such support in any way, shape or form.

Given the money, the campaign support, the backing from local MPs it is remarkable that anything stopped the LibDem bandwagon. But when it came down to it, local issues and local candidates matter more than the weight of leaflets you could deliver. I am very proud that local people turned their backs on negative politics and voted for a candidate who offered a positive vision based upon years of getting results. The LibDems will no doubt point to an increase in votes; they should be looking at why their vote share ever fell that low in the first place; their campaign bought them back up to where they were. They should then look to see if their own campaign is what killed their candidate in the end; more of this later.

Sometimes, the thing is not what you have but what you do with it. And I would like to comment on the campaign that each party ran – but that’s for another day (after sleep).

By-Election: Con Hold

More on this tomorrow but this is a fantastic result for us and I will be expecting apologies from various anonymous comment leavers!

Results of Bowthorpe ward by-election - Thursday 12 March

Candidate name	Political party	Votes	Elected
Jo Storie	Labour	761
Dave Thomas	Liberal Democrats	686
Christine Way	Green Party	193
Andrew Wiltshire	Conservative	915	X

Bowthorpe Thread

As you might imagine I am going to be very busy in the next few days, so may not be able to post. However you can use this thread for predictions, comments on the campaign or literature and suchlike.

It will be very interesting if the very negative and very, very intense LibDem campaign pays off; we wonder what the lack of a Green campaign will do to their vote and if Labour can ever recover in this ward.

John Wyatt was a great councillor and I hope the person who replaces him on Thursday is every bit as good - I trust that person is Andrew Wiltshire; local, hard working and the best man to beat Labour!

Bowthorpe Gets Bizarre: Vote Witshire?

The City Council have admitted that they have spelt our candidate, Andrew Wiltshire, wrong on the ballot paper - they have called him WITSHIRE instead. They have apologised but this just gives the impression that the council doesn't have their eye on the ball and can't get anything right.

All postal voters should be aware that the votes will count, including if you have corrected the council's spelling on the ballot paper!

This is unbelievable really; that there wasn't thorough checking with regards to the spelling of candidates names. I really haven't ever heard of this before; I hope it doesn't confuse and doesn't put anyone off from voting. The council has written to apologise; but as one voters said to me on the doorstep tonight ... and they want unitary status?

Bowthorpe Gets Dirty: Part 3 - LibDem phone canvassing

Next ... a Chapel Break resident raises with me the tactics being used by the LibDems with their massive phone bank effort in this election. Apprently the chap rang to ask who the resident would vote for, bearing in mind that only the LibDems could win in Bowthorpe. When the resident challenged them on local election figures, the phone canvasser paniced and hung up. This is not the first LibDem phone canvassing complaint we have recieved. I have passed this onto the LibDems and asked them to cease this kind of tactic. I know that the people running the LibDem campaign aren't from Norwich, but people here don't appreciate this kind of campaigning at all.

Bowthorpe Gets Dirty: Part 2 - "Rude & Aggressive"

We've now had several complaints about political canvassers in this election being "rude and aggressive". I haven't blogged about it until now, but the most recent contact has been rather bizarre.

A young Mum from Clover Hill got in touch to say she was canvassed by Labour this week; when she said she voted for me the canvasser turned on her, calling her "stupid" and walking away. Is this a moment of anger boiling over or a general campaigning technique? The voter was very angry indeed with that response - we disagree in politics but there should always be courtesy.

This seems to be a reoccuring theme for some in the Labour Party; a certain leading figure crossed the road in North Earlham to barrack Andrew, the Conservative candidate, up a residents pathway with the voter at the door! I've heard of crossing the road to start an arguement but that takes it to new levels. If the voter was wavering on deciding to vote at all, that scene would certainly had put them off. I am glad that Andrew was decent and polite throughout.

This has been a negative by-election; with spin, PR and smears a plenty. I hope local people notice who is doing it ...

Bowthorpe By-Election Candidates

Jo Storie - Labour ; lives in Bowthorpe, former county councillor but has certainly not been involved in any of the community groups since I have been involved.

Dave Thomas - LibDem ; lives on the other side of the City and stood for a seat in Thetford in 2007. Nothing known locally, other than criticism of starting campaign the day after John died.

Christine Way - Green; perenial Green candidate, lives in the City Centre.

Andrew Wiltshire - Conservatives; lives in Bowthorpe and works for Social Services. In his twenties and runs the local CF branch.

Interesting that only 2 candidates live locally; I wonder what people will make of candidates being parachuted in with no track record and claiming to be "local campaigners"?

Are there 10 LibDems in Bowthorpe?

At the last election there were 195 votes for the LibDem candidate; and they came in last place. This obviously isn't a fantastic result (despite the claims that only they can win here!) but doesn't explain their apparent desperate efforts to get their nomination paper signed for the by-election. Let me explain.

The nomination paper requires 10 signatures from local people - we usually ask either our members or keen supporters. There is never a shortage in Bowthorpe; however in wards where you are not so strong it can be a challenge.

Having said that, I don't think we've ever had a situation where the candidate and his team have to go door-to-door begging for signatures. I know the LibDems have precious little canvassing for Bowthorpe (usually not bothering at all with the ward) but they must know 10 people locally to sign ... or do they?

I was contacted by a gentleman from Three Score most put out that a young man bowls up on his doorstep asking him to sign. The resident - who was a little frail and veryanxious by this visit - asked for ID but non was forthcoming. The canvasser keeps pushing the man to sign, apparently getting more and more determined. The resident, though, refuses and finally the canvasser goes on his way. This made the resident feel very worried and insecure indeed. The resident also told me that the canvasser didn't even identify the party he was representing.

I note from the statement of persons nominated that the LibDem candidate has his signatures from trawling around Three Score; could they be the mystery party desperate for signatures? If so, it shows that no matter how many nasty and negative leaflets you deliver the public will always back a positive, hard working and year-round team.

If - and we aren't sure it was the LibDems but the evidence points that way - it was them, then any party struggling for nomination signatures ought to be very worried indeed.

Bowthorpe Gets Dirty: Part 1 - the LibDem Campaign

If anybody thought that the by-election caused by John's death was going to be a gentleman's affair then this weekend will surely have made them think again.

The LibDems kicked off their campaign the day after John died; hardly showing a great deal of respect. When this was reported to the media (incidently, not by me) instead of their Group Leader or PPC leading from the front, a junior spokesman was wheeled out to give their excuses. Aside from smearing me, they said this was part of thier normal campaigning in Bowthorpe. Hmmm, that would be the same normal campaigning that hasn't seen a single non-election leaflet delivered in the last 3 years? The LibDems are noted for their utter lack of respect around by-elections and their negative tactics. I haven't been disappointed.

The second LibDem leaflet attempted to link the Greyhound Opening scandal with the decision to appoint the next Lord Mayor. Apparently we have "gone easy" on Labour and, oh, by the way, Tories and Labour are discussing plans for the new Mayor. Now, these would be the same discussions that started last October (before Greyhound Opening) and in the presence of LibDem Leader Brian Watkins who knew all about it. Hardly secret and not at all linked to Greyhound Opening. But don't let any facts or honesty get in the way of a LibDem campaign; smear and innuendo are all that matter to them.

And then to this weekend ... the usual part of any LibDem campaign is the famous bar chart. Up to this point they had been using the last constituency results - but apparently voters were actually laughing at the claim that only the LibDems or Labour could win in Bowthorpe, so they switched to only the LibDems or Conservatives this weekend. The LibDems came last in 08 with just 195 votes. I wonder if the LibDem agent would like a £50 charity bet with the Conservative agent that says the LibDems don't come in either of the top 2 positions? Maybe I should write!

The Labour campaign will gets its own blog post later, but the attitude and conduct of the LibDems has been reprehensible. How long ago was it that then-LibDem Leader Hereward Cooke had to apologise for their election tactics and admitted lying on their leaflets? I think the same thing may have to happen again. Either way, if Brian Watkins wants a working relationship left with any of the other parties he better start showing some leadership and take a grip of the campaign rather than letting the electorally-militant wing of the LibDems take over again.

Normal Service to be resumed ...

After a short break from blogging, due to various factors, I am going to get back into it; with a by-election in Bowthorpe, the council budget and unitary delayed there will be plenty to talk about!