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 …
Election Notes: 24/04/10: What’s an anti-Tory vote in Brighton Pavilion? Read More »
Courtesy of my friend Neil. Here’s a drawing. One of my favourite spoonerisms: it’s a voting floater.
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 …
Election Notes 22/04/10: Before 1997, before Iraq Read More »
Not many years ago, when I lived in London, I was voting in the Mayoral election or the like. It might have been an MEP election. I can’t recall. But it was a PR election because I’m certain I voted Green as my second preference. Why did I vote Green? I couldn’t tell you that …
It’s one of those mysteries: why isn’t Brighton and Hove a Liberal Democrat stronghold? Next door Lewes has had the services of the extremely diligent Norman Baker since 1997 but any Seagulls fan will spit at the very mention of his name. Brighton got its first MP in 1832* with the Great Reform Act (which …
Election Notes 20/04/10: What does the LibDem surge mean in Brighton Pavilion? Read More »
A few weeks ago I was thrilled to go to the Civil Partnership of my chums David and Sune. David is a Tory and a high earner. He frequently has a go at me about the new higher rate of income tax and how Labour is ruining him. So when it came to sign the …
I’ve been out and about canvassing for Labour on the doorstep the last few weeks. Anyone who’s done it before will attest to the amusing things you see and hear as your peek into people’s lives and homes. These ones tickled: “What election is it? Oh, a General Election. I thought we hadn’t had one …
We’re staring a hung parliament in the face. It’ll be the first one in my lifetime (although not the first minority government: remember Major in the dog days of his administration) and it will surely be the first of many. The thirst for electoral reform is growing and that is a good thing. Proper PR …
Election Notes 17/04/10: The last FPTP General Election? Read More »
The PM came to town last Friday on the campaign trail and it was fascinating to see him in action at close quarters. I was also glad to shake his hand and share a few words with him. What a nice man. He arrived at BHASVIC to a rapturous welcome. The students from all over …
If political activists all over Britain were supposed to be glued to the telly for the historic first debate in General Election history, I didn’t get the memo. I was at a meeting for the most part discussing the day after and then decided to have a quiet, non-political beer with a chum afterwards. I …
I have become a poster spotting obsessive. There is a serious risk of injury as I walk around Brighton examining not just each and every house but each and every pane of glass in each and every window. I’m looking for election posters. I may yet miss pot holes and dog turds. If you spot …
Doctors Who are voting Labour and I’m pleased that the Labour Party is courting Whovians. It’s a shame that more eight year olds can’t vote. The new Labour party political broadcast has a voiceover from one Timelord, David Tennant, and it invokes the memory of another, via his son (Sean Pertwee’s dad was Who 3, …
I was down in one of those streets not far from the sea at the weekend delivering Labour stuff. I had pre-addressed leaflets: that means they’re targeted to specific voters based on our canvassing information. We don’t bother writing letters like that to Tories or people who are against telling us how they’ll be voting. …
Election Notes 11/04/10: One of our households is missing. Read More »