bigotgate

Well, Gordon Brown has called a Rochdale woman who was talking to him about too many eastern europeans coming into the country a bigot. And he has had to take nearly an hour out of his campaign timetable to apologise in the face of a media storm.

Here's a three basic lessons for anyone in the public eye when visiting a marginal constituency like Rochdale:

1. don't be rude to some one with whom the public will sympathise (you are not going to come out well against grey haired widows & grandmothers)
2. don't be rude to the electorate (especially to life long Labour supporters)
3. if you feel the need to rude, make sure any microphones are off

On the local front, there is little risk of any candidates making similar gaffes as they haven't appeared "on the knock" (apart from the early showing by the LibDem on 15th April).

But we did get a glossy election communication through the post today from Chris Leslie. Nice big picture of him in front of Greens Windmill, and the picture inside of him holding the baby near The Sage in Gateshead is confirmed to be him with his family. Interestingly, the other individual photo inside the leaflet is of Sarah rather than Gordon Brown. This seems a mite ungrateful given how Mr Leslie was selected and having a tag line of "putting local people first" on the front cover could both be a gift to opponents.

The leaflet has 3 key messages:

• education standards up
• crime down
• NHS improving

A positive message. Let's see how the leaders' debate on the BBC goes tomorrow.

LibDems go glossy

I get the feeling that someone thinks Nottingham East might have moved from a "safe" Labour seat to being marginal.

Today's letterbox saw a glossy leaflet from Sam Boote, the Lib Dem candidate with a picture of Nick Clegg on the front that is as big as the photo of the candidate. The main messages are "change" and "being fair" whether that be:

• fairer taxes
• fair chances for every child
• a fair future (green jobs) or
• a fair deal from politicians.

These 4 main points inside the leaflet look like standard national text but the 5th point is very local. He is "standing up for fairness" with a call to save Victoria Baths by retaining and refurbishing the existing baths rather than "waste millions on knocking it down and building new baths". Looks to me like a bid for the local protest vote and a chance to embarrass the Labour controlled City Council. Not sure how a Rushcliffe Borough Councillor from Keyworth will be able to affect a decision that has already be made by the Executive Board of the City Council.

While typing this we had another newsletter through the door, this one is LibDem Focus (Berridge Ward Edition) and looks like another election leaflet. The back of the leaflet there are two photos - one of a mansion and the other of a street terraced houses - and a "Dave Spart" style message about the Tory tax cuts for millionaires and quotations from the candidate claiming that "David Cameron's shadow cabinet would personally earn millions out of the tax cuts they propose...No wonder more and more people are switching to back the Lib Dems in Sam Boote as the real alternative to Labour".

Looks like the LibDems are really trying to win. Let's see how the other parties respond this week.

Shaking Eddie Izzard's hand

I was in town this morning, checking out the St George's Day festivities while waiting to meet my nephew Edward for lunch, when I spotted my friend Lilian and a lot of people with Labour placards. Lilian is standing as their candidate in Nottingham South, hoping to take over from Alan Simpson. She is blogging about her campaign: details here.

With her was Eddie Izzard, wearing a Labour rosette, shaking lots of hands and having his picture taken. I was very pleased to be introduced by Lilian saying "Eddie, this my friend Bob" and had a quick chat with him before he was whisked off for more photos and handshaking. Didn't get a chance to ask him about how his feet were after he ran 47 consecutive marathons for Sports Relief.

Alongside Lilian was Chris Leslie. I introduced myself to him as a voter in Nottingham East but did not get a chance to ask him any policy questions before he was being moved on to shake more hands. I can report that he seems pleasant enough, with a good handshake, and an easy manner with the voters.

Well that's my sprinkling of stardust for the election, meeting Eddie Izzard. Sonia was very jealous when I rang to tell her that she should have come into town so she could have met him.

Labour and Green leaflets at last

After several days of complaining that no-one was sending out anything for me to read, we get a couple through the door...

The first leaflet suggests that the Labour Party locally have woken up to the fact that there is an election going on and that it might be a good idea to ask for support at the ballot box. Two sides of A4 with 6 colour photos (5 include shots of Chris Leslie). The photos suggest a busy morning.

First off he had 5 photos taken in Hyson Green:

• Chris with a local resident,
• Chris standing in front of the Mary Potter Health Centre,
• Chris standing in front of a couple of trams at the Forest tram stop
• Chris talking to a couple of locals (one of whom looks a lot like a City Councillor) at the Forest tram stop
• he seems to have missed out being photographed with the Police Officer and CPSO at the tram stop opposite the Radford Road Police Station.

Then at some point in the proceedings he managed to be photographed holding a baby in front of the Sage building in Gateshead. What a shame, he was doing so well with the local landmarks until then. The message is about a strong voice for Nottingham East, public service investment, safer streets and "a future fair for all". A paragraph about Chris Leslie says he is 37 years old and married to Nicola with a 7 month old daughter, so that might be the baby in the photo taken in Gateshead.

My main area of interest is the public services (I know, selfish of me to want to hang on to my job) and the last line on the front of the leaflet caught my attention. After a couple of paragraphs extolling all the good work done - about improvements to school buildings, providing Children's Centres, protecting the NHS budget, and helping thousands avoid repossessions - there comes the "politician's promise"..."Only Labour will work hard to put investment in services first". What does that actually mean? If anyone can provide a translation I would welcome it.

The second leaflet came from the Benjamin Hoare who is standing for the Green Party. The small leaflet is surprisingly colourful and slightly glossy, but is "Printed on 100% recycled paper using sustainable technologies that do not harm the environment". There's a photo of the local candidate on the front and back by the Robin Hood statue to emphasise his local credentials (missed a trick there Mr Leslie), and the info inside looks to be generic with three key messages of "a living wage", "a million new jobs" and "protect the NHS". On the back is a bit about him that says he has "suffered at the hands of vandals and thieves, and personally stood up to a group of muggers to defend his property" but his message is about the need to invest in youth and our communities and to address the problems of social injustice and equality to bring our divided society together. A very positive message from the "man in black".

Meanwhile, the discussions about the second TV debate suggest that no-one won it and no-one lost it. The decision of the Tory press to start slinging mud at Clegg could potentially backfire, with the Daily Mail appearing very desperate with a nazi jibe. Not the wisest thing for them to do to someone whose mother was liberated from a WWII PoW camp by British Soldiers, and a bit rich from the paper that was vociferous in it's support of the Blackshirts in the 1930s.

Personally, I think Cameron is kicking himself. Demanding a TV debate with the expectation that your PR experience will help you appeal to the voters as the obvious successor while making Brown look "unslick" might have seemed like a foolproof strategy. Giving Clegg a platform and equal billing has been a spectacular own goal by Cameron. We'll just have to wait and see how the third debate plays out.

List of candidates confirmed

The Nottingham Evening Post (NEP) website lists the candidates for all the local seats. The main shock is the number of seats that feature BNP candidates. Traditionally they have not had much of a profile in Nottingham but they have put candidates in all the Nottingham seats except for Nottingham East. Let's hope they get the drubbing they deserve.

The list for Nottingham East has another new face, a candidate for the Christian Party whose slogan from their google link is "Fighting to re-establish traditional family values and to end abortion". Oh great, we don't get the BNP but we get a party that wants to tell women what they can (or can't) do with their bodies, and tell us all what to think. Googling the candidate Parvaiz Sardar doesn't produce anything useful, but I don't think we are going to get on well when/if they turn up on the doorstep. Remember, Jesus loves you but everyone else thinks you're a...(fill in your own expletive).

The list for Nottingham East is (according to the NEP):

• Sam Boote, Liberal Democrats
• Benjamin Hoare, The Green Party
• Ewan Lamont, Conservative
• Chris Leslie, Labour
• Parvaiz Sardar, The Christian Party
• Pat Wolfe, UK Independence Party

On the leaflet front, we have a new one from the tory boy (and a very glossy origami contraption it is too) through the door with the pizza and kebab flyers, but nothing yet from the others to add to the Lib-Dem yellow sheet of A4. Maybe now we know who is standing, they will start trying to get us to vote for them.

The fallout from the first Leaders' TV Debate

The clear winner on the night was Nick Clegg. The reckoning has started, as the two main parties turn their focus on the LibDem policies. The search is on for Cameron's "black man from Plymouth" who is 40 years old and had served for 30 years in the Navy (which means he would have been a 10 year old recruit).

The key images for me were the cut away shots of Cameron that showed him frowning or looking worried while the others were picking holes in his proposals.

The Tory big idea was for people to get involved in running their local communities. A fine idea in principal, but as ever, the devil is in the detail. After years of attending union and campaign meetings, it is the people who arrive with their own agenda and who are willing to stay through to the very end (after they have bored the pants off everyone else) who get to have the final say and end up in control. A recipe for the "politically commited", the "extremely religious" or the "green ink brigade" to take over control. Or for no-one to get involved and the private sector end up buying control (which is not a good idea when it comes to policing).

The Labour message was that you shouldn't change horse in midstream, especially for a horse that would damage the economy by removing funding at a crucial time. Brown has since admitted that he lost the debate on style but expects to win the election on substance.

And the LibDem message was that "the other two parties have made a mess of it and give us a go". He kept repeating the words "fair" and "change". And he was repeatedly agreed with by Brown - the phrase "I agree with Nick" became the mantra for the night.

Locally, still only two leaflets - the tory boy and the LibDem - have arrived at home.

Let's see how the next week of campaigning develops.

Labour make a decision (at last) and other candidates appear

Despite the reportedly extensive lobbying efforts of City Council leader Jon Collins, the Labour Party have selected Chris Leslie as their candidate fo Notingham East. Local press coverage here. The BBC report "Chris Leslie, a former Constitutional Affairs Minister, will stand after losing his seat in Shipley in the 2005 general election."

So we have a recycled reject from Shipley, Yorkshire parachuted in at the behest of those whose Leadership campaign he ran. Wonder how enthusiastic the local party workers will be campaigning for him?

According to theyworkforyou.com his voting pattens from 2001 until he lost his seat in 2005 make interesting reading:

• Voted moderately for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords
• Voted moderately against a wholly elected House of Lords
• Voted very strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws
• Voted against laws to stop climate change
• Voted moderately against greater autonomy for schools
• Voted very strongly for introducing ID cards
• Has never voted on replacing Trident
• Voted strongly for equal gay rights
• Voted very strongly for the hunting ban
• Voted very strongly for the Iraq war
• Voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war
• Voted a mixture of for and against introducing a smoking ban
• Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees
• Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals

There are some positive points in there - gay rights and hunting ban - but there are some big negatives - against stopping climate change, for the Iraq war and against an investigation into it, and for ID cards.

Meanwhile, other party candidates appear on the radar...

The Green Party have chosen Benjamin Hoare. Yournextmp.com says he is a Sales & Export Manager Earache Records. A visit to Earache Records website shows a photo of a "dude" with wrapround shades and a goatee beard. The record company has an interesting roster of bands of he "extreme music" variety such as those old favourites Napalm Death and Deicide. I'm not going to type some of the other band names as they  have obviously been chosen to shock those of a sensitive disposition, but you can go look for yourselves.

The Lib Dem candidate rang the doorbell when I was half way through typing up Chris Leslie's voting record. Had an short chat with him about his experience and why he was standing. He came across as a pleasant man but not inspiring. Took a copy of his leaflet which was very different to the tory one. The Lib Dem leaflet is A4 folded in half lengthways on yellow paper printed in black & white, 5 photos (2 of the candidate, 3 of Nick Clegg and others), about half a side of large text inside, and a big graphic on the back about how the LibDem vote went up in 2005. Like the candidate, the leaflet is not inspiring.

Let's see how the first Leaders' TV debate goes tonight...

another candidate appears

We have another candidate in Nottingham East, an independent called Benjamin Barton according to yournextmp.com. I've googled the name and come up with two possibilities in the UK...

The first person of that name (and the most likely) is the Benjamin Barton who made the local (and national) press for being fined for littering throwing a fag end down a drain because the bins were full. Story from the Nottingham Evening Post of 2nd Dec 09 here

The second person (and probably not the candidate) is the Benjamin Barton from this story: "Student broke into mortuary with axe to find woman he loved"

Either would make an interesting candidate.

Meanwhile Labour rumble on towards picking their candidate according to the NEP with a shortlist of 9 announced. Being a local paper, the Evening Post story only names the 3 local councillors who are on the list. Apparently the NEC will pick the candidate after interviews tomorrow. At this rate they might just get a name on some leaflets by 7th May.

On the national scene, the tory manifesto has been launched and is a hardback booklet "An invitation to join the Government of Britain". A cynic might comment that "It's amazing what  some tax free money from Belize can buy you (as well as the election)". As for being invited to join the government, call me old fashioned but I thought that was what we elected MPs to do.

In what looks to me like a bit of news management, the tory manifesto has been knocked off the top of the news by Alan Sugar making a £400,000 donation to the Labour Party.

Other manifestos launched yesterday included UKIP and the Communist Party.

Meanwhile, no new leaflets through the door...

Some candidates emerge

The BBC website lists four candidates so far declared in Nottingham East:

• Sam Boote (Liberal Democrat)
• Ben Hoare (Green)
• Ewan Lamont (Conservative)
• Patricia Wolfe (UKIP)

Meanwhile, The Nottingham Evening Post website at 0700 was reporting that the Labour NEC were going to announce their shortlist today. Well, it's nearly 2030 and there's no announcement on the NEP website. There was some coverage of the process in the Independent on Sunday that might explain the delay.

Nationally, Labour have released their manifesto which seems to be about "steady as she goes". I'm sure we'll hear a lot from the others once they have a chance to go through it with a fine tooth comb...

And still only the tory boy's leaflet through the door.

The first weekend arrives

Sunday afternoon sees me sat on the sofa watching Spurs play Pompey in the FA Cup semi-final. Lots of rushing backwards and forwards but no-one scoring...simile or analogy or am I over thinking?

Saturday's Guardian front page article saw Vince Cable making a strong point about those businessmen who are opposing the National Insurance...using the phrase "barefaced cheek" is an understatement...hmmm agreeing with a Lib-Dem.

The Observer provides lots of coverage of the Lib-Dems and Nick Clegg's warning that a tight result followed by massive cuts could lead to "greek style unrest", a bit on a tory donor who backs anti-EU groups, and some looking ahead to the first TV debate.

Meanwhile on the home front, The Nottingham Evening Post website at 11.30 today is reporting that Gordon Brown has "intervened" in the process for selecting the Labour candidate, but still no decision announced.

And still only the tory boy's leaflet through the door.

The law of unintended consequences

National news full of debates about how many public sector jobs they are going to cut. Tories promise no compulsory redundancies, just not filling vacant posts.

Let us apply the law of unintended consequences to this carefully worded position...

Sorry that your teacher has just retired but we can't appoint a new one, don't worry about your GCSEs...
You want a lollipop lady to help your kids to go to school? Sorry, vacancy freeze
You're complaining that your bins are only being emptied every other week? Try once a month 'cos we're not allowed to recruit any new binmen.

It's fairly simple maths - the amount of work to be done doesn't go down (in fact in some areas demand for services is increasing - aging population, child protection, potholes, bins to be emptied, all that stuff that only hits the headlines when it goes wrong) so fewer people to do it means it either takes longer to get done or it doesn't happen at all.

Locally, Labour have not sorted out their candidate. The local press says that City Council leader Jon Collins wants it but is having trouble because of the lack of support from the unions...the law of unintended consequences strikes again!

Being the Leader of a council that has recently attacked council workers by imposing worse terms and conditions and cutting jobs is not the way to win friends and influence people...especially people who have a say in the selection of candidates.

And still only the Tory boy's leaflet through the door.

The first mailing arrives

Through the door this morning came the first election leaflet...a conservative "newsletter" with two sides of text and photos and a poster to put up in your window to show your support.

The tory boy candidate claims that labour forced the local police to cut the vice squad and this lead to increased gun crime. An interesting version of events given the recent cases about a well known Bestwood family buying a copper, and the turf wars between two teenage drug gangs.

In the same mail (amongst the pizza and curry deals) was the NG5 magazine. This included an article from the local Police commander expalining how his team had worked hard with the community to reduce crime in sherwood by 50%.

So crime is up according to the tory boy, and down according to the local police...hmmm

The NG5 magazine also included an article attacking the proposals to start charging for the car parks in sherwood. This was written on behalf of the Neighbourhood Watch. Not sure what charging for car parking has to do with crime reduction. What did disturb me was the call by the Neighbourhood Watch for people to vote for anyone but Labour in protest. I'm not sure that Neighbourhood Watch should be engaging in party politics and voting recommendations.

Still waiting to hear from the other parties...

Election announced, a nation yawns

Well,it's official. The General Election will take place on 6th May 2010 (the day after my birthday) and after the "phoney war" of the past few weeks, the main parties start their campaigns by trying to prove who can swing the biggest axe on public services. I'm not inspired by the prospect.

Someone needs to explain to me why I should vote for any party that is in favour of threatening my job. I will vote, after all people fought and died for my right to do so, but I want it to be a positive act rather than as a means of stopping something worse happening.

Let's see how the campaign develops in Nottingham East...