*The DoorBell Rings* o/t Political

A late 50s fake tanned bleached peroxide haired women in a long light tan sheepskin coat with a string of pearls.

I open the door. Note the clipboard and above mentioned descriptors.

She says (in an upper class rah voice).

"I need help. I'm from the Brexit Party...."

After I finish chuckling at the pure irony, I say. You really have knocked on the wrong door. I'd wish you luck, but I wouldn't mean it."

She goes away with faux hilarity and knocks on the next door.

Bizarre targetting of one of the highest remain votes in the country which recorded one of the top 5 Labour majorities in 2017. But curious that its the first party to knock on my door so far.

 

As we know, the majority of the electorate in former Mining areas in South and West
Yorkshire have traditionally voted Labour. Apart from receiving a leaflet through the
post when Local or General Elections come round, I have never ever had a representative
from the Lib Dems, Conservatives, Greens or any other party apart from Labour knock at our door.


On the run up to the last General election I was doing some tidying up in my garage when
our gates were opened by our incumbent Labour MP Mary Creagh. She took around twenty
minutes to explain the work she was doing to improve the lives of her constituents. At that
point, I told her that I voted for her at every election and she looked pleased.

This time round she appears to be under pressure to retain her seat and I imagine she
will be a target for the Brexit Party. I will give her credit where it's due. Since that one on
one meeting, she sends me regular newsletters informing of what she's doing for her constituents
and doesn't just rock up at GE time.

 

Be my second GE since I returned to Barnsley.

Plus the referendum, council and EU elections.

Ive had in 8 Years one door knock. UKIP.

junk mail wise, the smaller parties but nothing from the "big two"

 

Based on the local elections where Labour got a bit of a wake up call, Barnsley Central although I still expect Dan Jarvis to win, his majority could shrink significantly.

Last election the only party that knocked on our door were the BNP and lets face it most of their policies were terrible so they only end up with a fraction of the vote.

Be interesting to see if any of the other parties try and get their message out. I always think my vote is taken somewhat for granted by Labour with it having historically a large majority. I've always wondered if the seat became a marginal seat whether we would see spending and investment more rife in the area as the sitting party try to hold on.

Is there any evidence to suggest this in other marginal areas?

 

Mary Creagh visited at my door as well last election, I think she is a good at getting involved in local issues and ,like you say, keeping people informed of her work, but an anti-Corbyn Blairite war monger who ,after her disgraceful letter attacking Corbyn the day before the election , should have been de-selected, to be honest I'm surprised she hasn't joined the Lib Dem Tory quisling party . I'm voting for her though as the alternatives don't bare thinking about

 

Sounds like the sort of woman I meet on upmarketmilfs.com
I was waiting for the punchline which never came.
Seriously, I live in a marginal seat now and they are all a lot more visible. Most on here will live in a safe seat I suspect. The incumbent lot take you for granted, the challengers think it's a waste of time. Last election I passed on a couple of hours arguing with some of them on my doorstep

 

She got involved with my son's school when it was in her constituency. Liked her.

 

he never came either it appears!

 

Never knew that DR. She certainly holds very strong views and appears to stick by them. She is a Remainer and
has opposed all attempts to agree to May/Johnson's EU exit deal which flies in the face of what the Brexit majority
in Wakefield voted for.

She appears to have her own protection squad should she encounter any threats or unpleasantness on the doorstep.
When she called on me, she was accompanied by a couple of lads who looked as though they could " handle"
themselves. After the demise of Jo Cox I have to say who could blame her.?

 

I have to say, my Labour MP and councillors are fantastic and sent updates all year round. They also typically leaflet a minimum of three times during an election and always post a reminder the day before to vote too. We also tend to get 1 leaflet from Lib Dem and 1 independent and occasionally Green but very rarely anything from Conservatives. Thankfully, my MP is a Remain one so I can vote happily.

 

I had a chat with my mum today who is still living in Barnsley. She ran though various examples just this last week of people she'd spoken to who seem to have swallowed the "get Brexit done" mantra. She pushed them as to why and what that meant. One said about stopping the "39 Chinese (sic)". Another said Trump would do us a great deal as hes mates with Nigel. And so on. All labour voters. 2 of them my mum considered to be pretty reasoned life long friends and was pretty shocked

I've got to say I'm feeling very despondent, probably more than whats going on at my football club. Looking at the polls, looking at first hand experiences and recounts from others.... I've a really bad feeling Johnson is going to get a majority.

I know how our voting system works means vote doesn't always translate to seats, but I just have this dreadful feeling. I hope for all our sakes, it doesn't happen.

 

No party has ever knocked at my door. At the last local election the only leaflet most people in our area received was from the local Independent candidate. Funnily enough he ousted the previously serving Labour candidate. Our MP is Tom Watsons ex girlfriend from Walsall?? who's silence should get her on the BFC board. After having local politicians serve us well * in years gone by, this policy of shipping in hand picked canditates to a safe seat might just backfire. Lots of people I know feel no affinity to the new Labour. Not in my case, but I can see why some traditional Labour voters are deserting in the current climate.
* Barring Eric Illsley

 

Tim Farrons my MP. He’s not been a knocking yet but it won’t be long. He nearly lost his seat last election but unfortunately it’s him or a Tory here. Lib Dem or Tory what an underwhelming choice. Thinking on what to do this year, I may try “Swap my vote” - seen the website? A way to make my vote count. I’d try to find a Lib Dem in a Tory Labour marginal, get them to vote Labour and I’ll vote Lib Dem (holding my nose).
**** electoral system isn’t it.

 

Mate, I think we can all feel your pain on voting opportunities. However, I would ask you to refrain from your actions for two reasons:
1. I have some vague notion what you are suggesting is rigging and may be against the law
2. You are assuming the lib Dems are some bastion of decency etc. Just look at what happened in 2010 when they had a whiff of power. Pledge on student fees? Forget that. Clegg : helping his constituents working for forgemasters keep their loan, er no. zealot Chris hune caught getting his wife to take his speeding ticket??not the real crime, Google the car, BMW 735i, not for him the Prius: hypocrite. Only thing they dug their heels in about were measures to get themselves more power, eg referendum on proportional voting which the public overwhelmingly rejected and fixed term parliament act so Tories couldn't call an election if polls moved their way.

 

Forgemasters isn't in Sheffield Hallam - its in Sheffield Hillsborough & Brightside, so Clegg wasn't their MP
The referendum ended up being on AV, not PR.

 

em more of a chance
I never said it was in his constituency, Some of his constituents would have worked there or had jobs that depended on forgemasters supply chain. The lib Dems drove the vote on av simply because it gave them a better shot at more power.

 

Of course AV would've helped them. Though PR would have helped even more but the tories blocked it, as it would have harmed them. Same with labour.

I don't see how anyone can argue that AV, and certainly PR aren't fairer than FPTP which has to encourage favours and horsetrading to change with any significance.

It would generate more BxP (and back further ukip and even BNP) MP's.... but if that's what people voted for, that's what they voted for. You at least get what you voted for.

 

I can't remember the exact figures but it was rejected by some considerable margin by the voters. You could argue for fairness yes. You could as you point out also argue it would let in more extremists and result in more hung parliament's with the kind of paralysis we've seen lately and has become normality in places like Italy. I've long thought however why not have a upper house elected by pr at the same time as we vote in a general election, be better than the patronage and accident of birth we have now

 

I think you'd have the same issues with the Lords as you see with European elections.... people just woudn't be arsed to do research into what it did or how and it would become a populist chamber. My personal opinion is that the Lords has actually shown more of its value in the last 3 years by providing true scrutiny to bills.

Its sad however, that PM's have the ability to appoint Lords on their stepping down which has clearly led to cronyism galore. I can't even imagine the flood of evil when Johnson goes. if there was a more independent way that didn't involve the public voting for something they don't really understand, I'd be more in favour.

The Lords is acting as a wider ranging legislator now that the Commons is becoming more populist and lightweight. You just have to see some of the actions of whips bullying bills through committee stages on a nod and structuring committee members favourable to the policy rather than those who will ensure it is a good law and written well considering all aspects that could harm on hinder by mistake.

 

It’s not against the law. It would be if there were coercion or money passing hands. I hear you on the Lib Dem’s though and when push comes to shove may just waste my vote on Labour, but feel good about myself. Time to decide yet.

Check out the website though it’s an interesting thing if like me your in a marginal and don’t want either of the runners.