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 »
This weekend, as I sweated my way down the 50th set of basement flat steps on the delivery round I’ve done so many times in the past few years, I thought to myself that I would have never joined the party had I known quite how many leaflets I would need to deliver to prove …
It’s such a privilege to have a choice of women as your next MP. It’s also terrible. It breaks my heart that Labour, Conservatives and Greens all have credible female candidates. Why are they fighting each other? It’s great that my next MP will be a woman. And yet I look around and see male …
Election Notes 09/04/2010 The Tragedy of Brighton Pavilion Read More »
If I ever needed a reminder that bloggers are everywhere and nothing you ever say is off the record, it came on Tuesday. Something I said on Monday evening at the Brighton Future of News Group (#bfong), as part of a wide ranging discussion about local and national politics, political leaflets and local coverage of …
“I’m not convinced that the Argus wields political influence.” Read More »
Two ladies. Diddly diddley dee. Immaculately turned out. Venerable dames, dolled up and not a day under 80 (I guess) but looking fab and much younger. On a Saturday afternoon for a few pre-Christmas drinks with chums in a nice pub not far from the sea. Lady 1: What are you having love? Lady 2: …
The Argus has published a poll that puts Labour in the lead in Brighton Pavilion. Labour: 26% Conservative: 16% Green: 12% Link to the clipping. The Green’s Jason Kitcat has rubbished the poll and spent a great deal of bloggage slagging off the use of graphs by every party but the Green Party. Methinks the …
Last week the Argus ran a front page piece about the number of places in town that sell alcohol: “Booze Brighton has one bar for every 84 households” I think The Argus missed the point. This is a resort city with two universities and that, combined with a native population that I venture likes a …
I adore this 1988 editorial from The Sun. Many thanks to Brightonian playwright Adrian Bunting who sent it my way. He got it from local cultural guru Peter Crisp, who is well known in the city. I hope that Peter and Adrian will forgive me for sharing it. It’s too delicious. The thing about the …
For a long time in Brighton Pavilion, Labour has been shadowboxing. We’ve had our own fabulous candidate Nancy Platts for two and a half years. The Tories chose David Bull initially and he didn’t really make a mark. The Greens have chosen Belgium based Caroline Lucas and she unsurprisingly continues to be largely absent (she’s …
Finally, the Conservatives have their candidate… Read More »
Noone who was present at Henry Allingham’s funeral earlier in the year doubts Brighton’s pride in its heroes. And today at the Brighton cenotaph down at Old Steine, just like in communities all over, hundreds of people joined in the Service of Rememberance. Rememberance is important every year, but recent losses in Afghanistan made it …
I suspect my growing interest in Brighton and Hove’s local politics will mean that this isn’t the first blog I write about bins, refuse collection and recycling. So here you go: two of the communal bins on my street. Pics taken half an hour ago. Why is this bad? This is the backlog of just …
Brighton’s Tory ‘Winter of Discontent’ starts here Read More »
Rejoice! The church has sent another missionary to save us godless Brightonians! Our new saviour comes in the shape of the ever so trendy Reverend Archie Coates. He knows what we need: more god. He’s so wrong. When it comes to beliefs and religions we’ve got plenty. It’s just not necessarily Church of England or …
I’m pleased to see that Brighton and Hove City Council are flogging some old street signs on eBay. It’s not a first (several other councils are already accomplished eBayers) but it is a good way to raise some cash for the coffers and also recycle and reuse things that they don’t need any more. But …
There’s a great scene in season 6 of The West Wing when Josh Lyman introduces Matt Santos to the unglamorous reality of kicking off a presidential campaign from scratch with the New Hampshire primary. The candidate helps voters unload their trash at the town dump. The scene reinforces the importance of humility in politics. Personal …