I received an email last week, as a Labour party member, telling me that I could attend hustings of Labour leadership candidates in Southampton or London. Thanks. Why not Brighton, I thought? But then, I am merely 50 miles from London and have hardly any cause for complaint. I took a look at all the […]
Labour won’t win if it’s London-centric Read More »
It’s more than a month since the General Election and I have one last post to make in my Election Notes series. I’ve been sitting on it because I was unsure exactly what I wanted to say. I made some notes at the time. This is a verbatim extract from the Sunday after the General
Election Notes 2010: On losing Read More »
I had the Scrabble set out earlier (not a rare occurance) and discovered the Lego House of Commons. Where are my Lego people? And my Lego despatch boxes, Lego mace….
Where’s the Honourable Member for Legoland? Read More »
There are a surprising number of things on eBay where the only delivery option is “Buyer collects”. I wonder if this is necessary. How many things, excluding furniture and the like, can’t be sent via a courier? Royal Mail (as long as there isn’t a strike on) is good for the small stuff. But when
eBay: A courier as a sales tool Read More »
eBay has been part of my life since I first worked for the company in July 1999. In all those years, I’ve usually been selling something and certainly buying something each month. My selling goes in fits and starts. And for the first time in ages, over the past few weeks, I’ve been having a
eBay: Don’t you think it looks and feels tired? Read More »
What’s going on with Brighton’s post boxes? Here’s the double one one outside the Post Office on Melville Road. And the second was spotted at the Dyke Road end of Buckingham Road. I thought at first it might be incompetant priming for a new coat. But according to the nice lady in the Post Office
What’s happening to Brighton’s Post Boxes? Read More »
Before I close off the Election Notes series, I have a few more posts to make when I have a moment. Yesterday, I finally cleared some snaps off my phone and put them on flickr. You can find the set here. Here are several of my favourites.
Election Notes: iPhone Snaps Read More »
I thought this graphic might be interesting to political geeks out there. It’s the visitors to nancyplatts.com (Brighton Pavilion’s Labour candidate) in the run up to the general election. I’ve taken the numbers off: consider this indicative. I didn’t really know what to expect trafficwise but this is quite useful and entirely as you might
Election Notes: Something for the geeks. Read More »
As the Cleggsurge shows, those TV Debates really have made a massive difference to the General Election. Personally, I’ve found them a little dull. Cameron kept pushing for them and must surely be regretting that. He wasn’t as good as good as he reckoned he’d be. As a former secretary of the Eton College Debating
Election Notes 30/04/10: Fantasy TV Debates Read More »
Anyone who cares about democracy is in favour of anything that breathes life into politics. That could be electoral reform, Twitter, public meetings, canvassing, men dressed in chicken suits. There are actually lots of ways of encouraging discussion and debate. All are good. I’m just not sure about hustings. I’m certain that they don’t deserve
Election Notes 29/04/10: The battle of hustings Read More »
The postal votes are out there now. In Brighton Pavilion, something like 10000 voters will be voting postally. It’s astonishing. It’s also tantalising to wonder what those ballots cast could tell us but that must elude us. The postal vote packs went out last week and a great percentage have been returned already. It does
Election Notes 28/04/10: Going Postal Read More »
I walk down a street and the first thing I wonder is how the doors are numbered. I haven’t taken a go on Facebook Scrabble for 4 days. I’ve skipped my beloved pub quiz several times and that NEVER happens. Red garments are being worn more. Blue and green ones. Not so much. My jacket
Election Notes 27/04/10/: It must be election time because… Read More »
Do you know David Hare’s play The Absence of War? It’s a thinly veiled account of Kinnock’s experience in the 1992 campaign. In the play, Labour leader George Jones loses to a man rather more like David Cameron than John Major. I saw it at the national theatre many moons ago with John Thaw as
Election Notes 26/04/10: Fast forward to May 7th? Read More »
As any activist knows, canvassing isn’t really about persuasion (although it does sometimes turn into a discussion, and quite right too). It’s predominantly a data collecting exercise. Where is your support? Make sure you solidify it. Get your people out on polling day. That’s why I love a Tory on the doorstep. I thank them
Election Notes 25/04/10: Beware polite Tories Read More »