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The British Prime Minister isn’t a Community Manager

The British Prime Minister isn’t a Community Manager

At the weekly ritual of Prime Minister’s Question Time, where Britain’s head of government is held to account, PM David Cameron condemned comments and pages on Facebook from users supporting murderer Raoul Moat. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said: “It is absolutely clear that Raoul ... Read more »
Labour won't win if it's London-centric

Labour won’t win if it’s London-centric

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 2010: On losing

Election Notes 2010: On losing

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: ... Read more »
Election Notes: iPhone Snaps

Election Notes: iPhone Snaps

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes: Something for the geeks.

Election Notes: Something for the geeks.

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 30/04/10: Fantasy TV Debates

Election Notes 30/04/10: Fantasy TV Debates

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 29/04/10: The battle of hustings

Election Notes 29/04/10: The battle of hustings

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 28/04/10: Going Postal

Election Notes 28/04/10: Going Postal

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 27/04/10/: It must be election time because…

Election Notes 27/04/10/: It must be election time because…

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 26/04/10: Fast forward to May 7th?

Election Notes 26/04/10: Fast forward to May 7th?

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes 25/04/10: Beware polite Tories

Election Notes 25/04/10: Beware polite Tories

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 ... Read more »
Election Notes: 24/04/10: What’s an anti-Tory vote in Brighton Pavilion?

Election Notes: 24/04/10: What’s an anti-Tory vote in Brighton Pavilion?

A friend asked me the other day: “I don’t want a Tory MP. So who’s telling the truth: Labour or Green?” He was referring to the Labour and Green leaflets that are going out and both claim to be the only ones who can beat the Conservatives here. It’s a fair question and the answer is: we ... Read more »
Election Notes 23/04/10: Can you tell what it is yet?

Election Notes 23/04/10: Can you tell what it is yet?

Courtesy of my friend Neil. Here's a drawing. One of my favourite spoonerisms: it's a voting floater. ... Read more »
Election Notes 22/04/10: Before 1997, before Iraq

Election Notes 22/04/10: Before 1997, before Iraq

The retiring MP for Brighton Pavilion, David Lepper, is a good man. I've told him off about voting for the Digital Economy Bill. Fear not. But he worked hard to get to parliament and there are very few folk who'd say he hasn't been a great local MP since 1997. David has been clearing out his ... Read more »