Thursday, April 14, 2005

Vote Labour at Trinity Cross, and back on the knocker

Collect Sarah from Cheetham Hill. On the way back home we pass Brown Brothers Building. Our Vote Labour display at Trinity Cross looks grand and will be seen by tens of thousands of people daily.

I'm back out of the house again too soon. Back to check those Outs on the Egerton estate and another street nearby to cover.

Several of last nights outs and in. Generally the response is good for us. I promise to source two postal voting applications for one household and hey presto I deliver before the night is over.

This time I catch another old familiar at number 18. Furious about the war. More contained now than in 03 and 04. But throughout very happy about Tony Lloyd's record and support. Several letters by the door from TL in fact. Thinking aloud. Blair will think it's a vote for him. I don't think so and say. If votes in 139 anti-war constituencies hold up better than elsewhere that will in fact be a clear message. A protest with no chance of it backfiring on the people of Moss Side, Ancoats and Ardwick or equivalents nationwide.

We'll never know how number 18 answers the SNWDWVF question. But he suggests that he may vote Tony Lloyd early and then go and hassle Gerald Kaufman.

I've seen him at many of the anti war and other left events these last few years. He may even have been at The Friends Meeting House when Sir Gerald spoke about Palestine, condemning Sharon and sticking his neck out big style as The Jewsih Telegraph and the Chronicle had called on readers to go and heckle.

He supports the efforts of the local party to develop new links with Palestine. He has a fine record of speaking out on Jammu Kashmir. And though he has very rarely rebelled on *anything* he has indicated that once he's started he may find it habit forming.

As Roy Hattersley, quoted on SNWDWVF-web, says many back-benchers are craven and will in fact loyally support Labour leaders if and when they are 'just Labour' or 'left Labour' rather than 'new improved' (sic.).

Onwards to the new territory. This is pretty good too. I am following my rule of not disturbing those recorded already as Against or Tory. They may come round or they may not vote. I do generally knock on the doors where Lib Dem is recorded. The councillors here are generally perceived as very weak compared to their Labour predecessors. People have been let down. And may switch back to their home party.

Not yet seen opposition posters. In this voter iD exercise I will be knocking on for Lib Dem ones. Residents report that the LD team sometimes foists garden and tree posters on what are non-supporters : "We always have a poster on this tree", that kind of thing. Or get a poster in a window on the basis of some trivial piece of support. Things which councillors of any party ought to be pulled up for if they do *not* deliver. Nothing beyond the call of duty.

To cut a long story short many residents are happy to be rid of the orange diamonds which remind of nothing more than those 'baby on board' flags in the odd car.

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