Yesterday afternoon after the Lyn Brown MP Constituency
event I went to help out in the
by-election in Royal Docks ward.
Fellow London UNISON Labour link activist Alan Griffiths and I drove down to Britannia Village where the Labour campaign HQ is located.
The Labour candidate is Steve Brayshaw, who lives in the ward and is a well known and respected community activist. Sadly, the last time I was in the village I was canvassing with Simon Tucker whose unexpected death has resulted in this by-election.
As I drove into the village I saw 3 Conservative canvassers looking a little lost and confused, apparently arguing between them on which way to go. I didn’t stop to give directions.
We spent the afternoon delivering letters to electors. I came across the leaflets put out on behalf of the Tory candidate, Neil Pearce. Neil is apparently the “editor” of his newsletter. He has a strange photo of him on the front page. Call me old fashioned but I’m not that sure that the “
Vinnie Jones skin head” look is what is really going to appeal to the voters in Royal Docks?
I’m not going to be too smug since I know how difficult it is to get a decent leaflet out quickly. But promising to cut council tax if he is elected is perhaps a little ambitious. He seems to have forgotten that if he was elected
(God forbid) he will still be only 1 out of 60 councillors. Also Newham has frozen the Council tax year this year and is in fact cheaper than any other outer London Borough including all the far more expensive Tory run boroughs.
Frankly I also don’t think that a leaflet that tries to totally rubbish your ward is all that helpful. There are problems in Royal Docks which need addressing. Trying to make out that the entire ward is some sort of deadly dangerous rubbish dump is not that productive. Keep up the good work mind Neil!
The only slight mishap of the day was when I came out of a block of flats (run by
Guinness Trust – they seemed to be in pretty good nick) into the rear car park. The entry door shut behind me and it was only then I found out I was unable to get out. There was a FB 2 lock on the only gate and I hadn’t brought any FB keys with me. So, much to the amusement of local kids I had to climb a very high metal gate and swing myself across and climb down.
While walking back to the HQ with Royal Docks councillor, Pat Murphy, said “D
on’t look now but the Tories are all inside that cafe drinking”. I of course immediately looked and saw a group enjoying a beer or three at a window table overlooking the bridge. I gave a friendly wave and I think it was Neil himself who waved back. Now, of course I have nothing whatsoever against canvassers of whatever persuasion enjoying a well earned bit of liquid refreshment after fighting the good fight – but at only 3.30 in the afternoon?
When there are leaflets to be delivered, doors to be knocked and gates to be climbed over!
I’ll hopefully post soon on how folk can help out Steve and Labour in Royal Docks.
