MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Okay, so I stood as a candidate in the local elections here. It's been a really intense experience and I've walked hundreds of thousands of steps and knocked on just short of a thousand doors in the last couple of weeks.
Trouble is; my weakness in life is a complete lack of patience. Having to wait around and not do anything active now is driving me round the bend. Can't even concentrate on work. Arrrgh!
Rachel
Which party are you standing for?
Get down the pub and start writing your victory speech.
Prepare for Office!
got a go pro?
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iolo - Greens
VIctory Speech? - I've already been looking at prices for a duck house...
knocked on just short of a thousand doors
Ouch! How are your hands?
Ouch! How are your hands?
well, posting the eve-of-poll leaflets has left me with a bruise on the back of my hand resembling that left by my canula last time I was in hospital...
[url= http://westnorfolk.greenparty.org.uk/local-elections/ ]this you?[/url]
bruneep - yes. (and that website is bloody awful - locally, we'll do our own next time and not use the centrally supplied tools)
From tomorrow you could be under scrutiny, so if I were you I'd be out there doing whatever you don't want to get caught doing for the next 5 years just in case!
Good Luck, wish I had a STW'er to vote for 😉
Top marks for the humble brag!
Bon chance!
Good luck! Any indication of how your ward is going?
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You need to put the intra-messaging cat amongst the data-pigeons, objectivising extra-communication to and from the web/Pleb. Maintain your traction in New Age techno-idealism
er, your profile doesnt mention mountainbikes
and i wouldnt mention you come from yorkshire, its not your fault
post up pics of your rivals and we will slate them for you.
(slightly seriously - how many votes do you need minimum)
Good on you for having the gumption to get involved.
Good Luck!!
Can't you do some tie-dying or something 😉
Good luck by the way
There's nowt wrong with Yorkshire! If anything, that should add some down to earth credibility to Rachel's reputation.
let me guess your one of them willard
Not really, but my dad was.
[i]Anybody else a candidate ...?[/i]
On here? I very much doubt it!
Good luck!
after 'we' devolute the scots, the yorkies will be next.
only happy spending other folks money hashtagsmiley
bruneep - yes. (and that website is bloody awful - locally, we'll do our own next time and not use the centrally supplied tools)
How can a party expect the electorate to give them the power to run the country when they can't even organise a [s]half[/s] remotely decent website?
I'll be buggered if I can find anything that in any way looks like being a proposed policy or manifesto on that site. Surely if you want some votes the first thing you'd do at the start of your campaign is stuck some policies up on the homepage of your site?
Smells a bit of incompetence to me...
the first thing you'd do at the start of your campaign is stuck some policies up
but UKIP have done completely the opposite and reaped the media benefits, plausible deniability i think they call it
that website is at least better than the designed-by-the-blind leaflet UKIP put through my door. Not only is it in yellow ink on purple paper, every single bit of text is in comic sans.
Allthegear - sorry but 'Old Gaywood' made me laugh, childish I know but hey ho. You should sign off you posts with that rather than Rachel.......
Oh and good luck.
Actually, it became clear to us that in our district that web is not a primary communications medium. Leaflets and door knocking are far, far more effective and that's what we have been doing, with very, very good feedback.
It's all a case of knowing your audience. The web isn't everything.
Rachel
Not only is it in yellow ink on purple paper, every single bit of text is in comic sans.
Its sort of appropriate really
Don't know about expert but I did have a couple of Subarus in the past, yes. And two Alfas, if you're counting…
Rachel
Ooh. Where's [s]Jeremy[/s]Jambalaya going with this line of questioning..
Actually, it became clear to us that in our district that web is not a primary communications medium. Leaflets and door knocking are far, far more effective and that's what we have been doing, with very, very good feedback.It's all a case of knowing your audience. The web isn't everything.
Maybe, but surely just a little bit of common sense would tell you that you should have at least something on the site about what you believe in/want to achieve. That's the whole point of politics!
I mean someone went to the effort of creating bios of all your candidates...seems a bit self indulgent not to bother doing anything else!
Djanbo - yep, you're right. This is the first year we have made a serious attempt at multiple local seats and a parliamentary one. We have made many mistakes and intend to learn lots from all of them.
Much of it comes down to time - we have done a lot with very few active members but nothing like what we could do with dozens.
Next time, we will be a stronger force, certainly. We might not even bother with a website at all here. And that's coming from a web developer by profession.
Rachel
I mean someone went to the effort of creating bios of all your candidates...seems a bit self indulgent not to bother doing anything else!
Or, if you're going to bother doing something, then do it properly. 🙂
Exactly
DezB - Member
Ooh. Where's JeremyJambalaya going with this line of questioning..
Lol I think he's going for the greed creds of driving WRX's 😉
Petrolhead greens is good for the irony
Strange how certain people on the forum try to pick people apart, rather than appreciating the bravery it takes to stand in the 1st place.
Hang in there Rachel, don't let the buggers get you down.
+1 for Jivehoneyjive
Dont worry about Jambalya he lost all credibility with his statements on VAT 😆
Strange how certain people on the forum try to pick people apart, rather than appreciating the bravery it takes to stand in the 1st place.
I think it's a reasonable criticism, not "picking people apart" - if you've got a party website, at least include a link to the policies. Particularly if one of your candidates is an expert web developer 🙂
But good luck anyway!
Don't worry, we totally recognise that the website is poor. But, as people are not looking at it anyway, there wasn't much point putting effort into it. Better to put the small amount of effort available into more effective media.
And anyway, it made a pleasant change to do some print media designs. I had almost forgotten how to do them but they went down really well!
Rachel
The web isn't everything.
See, I'd have voted for you until then.
Weirdo. 😉
think it's a reasonable criticism, not "picking people apart" - if you've got a party website, at least include a link to the policies. Particularly if one of your candidates is an expert web developerBut good luck anyway!
And also, if someone can't take a gentle bit of criticism on here, they aren't going to be much use in politics.
Fair point mogrim, that's constructive criticism, but I wasn't referring to that.
How can a party expect the electorate to give them the power to run the country when they can't even organise a half remotely decent website?
Well the conservatives ARE running the country and they can't manage a half decent leaflet...
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pics of teh print media please.
Not entirely sure I can now. I know we can't deliver things today. I might have to wait till after 10pm
Yes, I'd avoid jeopardising your chances now, it does all seem slightly draconian what you can/can't do around voting!
Actually, I quite like the way the Spanish have a whole day before polling day where no parties can work, to let people "reflect"
Rachel
Can't deliver stuff today? Michael Moore leaflet through my door around dawn this morning. Not that I was going to but definitely not voting for him after being woken at that time.
You can campaign on election day but not such that your causing problems near polling stations
Actually, I quite like the way the Spanish have a whole day before polling day where no parties can work, to let people "reflect"
That's the theory, anyway.
Good luck Rachel, just voted Greens here. (not norfolk).
What's the electorate like in your neck of the woods, OP? I know, you love them, they're the best etc etc, but is it likely/unlikely that you'll get in?
All the best. Greens are probably the nicest people around IMO. 😉
Well done, I voted Green today 😀
Greens are probably the nicest people around IMO.
I agree, I just wish they were standing in my area. (Con, Lab, LibDem, Plaid, UKIP. Jeez, what a choice.)
Rachel, just going back in this conversation, what are the best ways of spreading your message these days? I have never been on a local politician's website and haven't actually had many leaflets through the door. The closest I've come to speaking to a candidate was the Labour dimwit standing at the school gates the other day. (Yeah, let's have a chat about politics while my kids charge around my legs..)
I'm assuming that social media use is increasing? Do most people just assume they know your policies?
Can I doff my cap at you Rachel for having the courage to put yourself forward to serve your local community. I wish you much success and envy your public spirit.
PS Voted Green in local election.
Me? Oh no - I thought I spotted Mari Williams earlier (our local Labour candidate) she looked nervous, we're in a very marginal seat - last time around the Tories got 17860 votes and Labour were second with 17666.
I suspect She'll win, last time around there were a lot of Lib Dem boards in peoples gardens, a few Labour and a lot of Conservatives - I haven't seen a single Lib Dem board this time, it's a sea of red with a few islands of blue and a singular ukip board. Our MP has a bit of a buck-tooth smile and some naughty, but funny people have taken to defacing some of his posters with carrots.
Open question, are there a lots of boards about where you live? You can't move for them here - people really do seem to want to promote their chosen team - on the main commuters roads near me more houses have boards big and small in their gardens than have none.
P-Jay you live near me then as she is also my candidate 🙂
I think she will also win - it'll only take a small swing nationally for Labour to regain the seat and I think they're on for one.
can i just ask a serious question as a naive voter please?
say you wanted ed miliband to win election cos you thought his policies would be best for britain. yet youre in rachels 'ward'(?) and think she'd do more for your local area, or you hated your local labour bod.
who do you vote for? spose what im asking is.....do you vote local or national?
[EDIT] this has been my one and only election post, just something i wondered the other day. on the whole i try and stay away from it all.
That's a very difficult question which doens't really have a good answer!
Not a candidate but hopefully I will be re-electing my boss to Parliament.
who do you vote for? spose what im asking is.....do you vote local or national?
She is standing as a councillor so will have no impact on Miliband's likelihood of becoming PM.
good luck, if you'd stood here I'd have voted for you anyway if that helps..
Surely if you need help editing web-sites, generating false twitter followers and bogus endorsements ...
Grant Shapps(Cons) is your go-to guy for that !!
sadexpunk - Membercan i just ask a serious question as a naive voter please?
say you wanted ed miliband to win election cos you thought his policies would be best for britain. yet youre in rachels 'ward'(?) and think she'd do more for your local area, or you hated your local labour bod.
who do you vote for? spose what im asking is.....do you vote local or national?
[EDIT] this has been my one and only election post, just something i wondered the other day. on the whole i try and stay away from it all.
Agreed, it's tricky - I've always thought a lot of people who'll stand for Parties other than Lab/Con - you don't join the Green Party hoping to be PM one day, so you can probably remove the "lust for power" bit of their drive for standing, but..
Ultimately maybe not tomorrow, but in a week or so either Ed or Dave will be PM, of that there is little doubt - and the party in power will usually have more of an impact on your day to day life than the party of your MP and if you want your local area to matter to Westminster, you're better off having an MP as a member of the ruling party - actually it's better to be in a marginal seat - safe seats no one really cares about.
HOWEVER, the main parties do carefully consider how many votes the smaller parties get and it can influence their polices, partly to counter the chances on these smaller parties becoming bigger in the 90's and 2000s the Green Party grew, so the main parties cared more about environmental policies, now UKIP is on the rise you hear more about immigration and Europe from the main parties.
If you vote for Rachel, she may not win (hope you do Rachel, you seem nice) but the overall number of green votes this time around will influence the government - a green surge (which is expected) will push Green Party style policies forward with the Government.
[quote=allthegear ]that website is bloody awful - locally, we'll do our own next time and not use the centrally supplied tools
Well to be fair, this one isn't a lot better 😉
http://www.drupal.org.uk/
Good luck and we'll done for getting involved.
[quote=DezB ]
Anybody else a candidate ...?
On here? I very much doubt it!
Good luck!
Found another one http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/polling-day-then/page/4#post-6893969
My brother is a candidate for the local council in my home town it is a ward where it has been said if you pinned a red rosette on a pig they would elect the pig unfotuanaly the local labour party has really pushed the envelope on the theory and put up someone less articulate and more violent than a pig . According to those in the know half the local labour vote are claiming they will vote for my non labour brother in protest .He was hoping to avoid the embarrassment of losing his deposit now it looks like he could get elected.
Any news yet Rachel??
Any news yet Rachel??
Are you trying to get her arrested?
The web isn't everything.
Compatible? Not exactly selling your services.runs a local business providing website development
Mountain biker???originally from Yorkshire but moved to Kings Lynn
These points aside I have a lot of time for the Greens, so good luck!
Does anyone look at the websites of the any of the parties anyway? I've read a ton of stuff leading up to today but nothing from a party's website.
Good luck Rachel.
Bruceonabike- yeah, I ended up here by accident after an interesting night at a friend's birthday party. 😉
I just really like it, except it's not exactly the mountainous of places!
Oh - and being brutally honest with when a website is the right thing is completely compatible with being a developer. I want to make great products that deliver returns. If they won't do that, I'll say so.
Won't be any news till about 5pm tomorrow.
Rachel (tired but off to the overnight parliamentary count in a couple of hours...)
Good luck Rachael 😆
Nice eyes btw 😉
/\ 🙄
Good luck. Let us know how you get on.
Hi Rachel, good on you for standing.
Out of interest, what does someone in your position do once the dust has settled on Monday morning?
bros - looking at the results of this election where for example the Greens have 3.7% of the vote giving 1 seat and the SNP have 4.8% of the vote and 55 seats, I think I'll be wanting to put some effort into voting reform!!
Oh - and we more than doubled our share of the parliamentary vote locally compared to last time 🙂
Rachel
I thought holiday would be top of the list 😉
Good luck in your endeavours into voting reform