I am very realistic about my chances; it’s a Tory stronghold area.

Even Tory strongholds are under threat in the current political climate. You should get some positive feedback from falling Tory support.

So even if you fail to succeed in getting elected a big dent in the Tory vote will be satisfying, and a big increase in the Labour vote will wipe the smug look off the Tory candidate’s faces.

I have worked hard in election campaigns where the Tories have still managed to win but there has been a massive swing to Labour, it is hugely satisfying. And not least if it occurs on what they consider to be their territory.

Alternatively if it is definitely a no-hoper turn up drunk to the count and threaten to headbutt the geekiest Rees-Mogg looking young Tory.

NKL for the win!

Loving how little sense that has to make to anyone else.

You are local to me I think v8ninety (West Midlands) and I have a problem with the bin collection yesterday.
One of the refuse operatives was whistling whilst carrying out his duties and failed to return my bin to the exact position I left it ready for collection.
This sort of behaviour cannot be condoned and must be addressed immediately.

I await your response to this pressing matter.

Charles Fortescue Blanchard 111

@v8ninety

Good luck mate!

I’d vote for you but before I commit, I have to ask, do you over me your protection if I do?

Absolutely agree, it never ceases to amaze me how many people think support for a councillor is support for their party and actually means anything.

We have an excellent local Councillor, really gets involved with local issues, manages to get issues fixed, supports a lot of local groups with publicity and grant funding.

She’s a bloody Tory and I’d like to hate her,but she’s a bloody good local Councillor

Massive respect OP. Keep fighting the good fight.

a lot of people won’t vote for them because they are the wrong party. A particular problem at council level where politics shouldn’t matter so much.

Council level politics is still politics. Bins are very important, but councils also do life and death matters like social work, housing, education, road safety, sports, social exclusion, refugee settlement…

If people sign up for a party’s platform, it’s fair enough to vote for or against them if you don’t share their values – esp when councillors vote as electoral blocs.

Speaking from experience, its hard graft, but very rewarding.
My suggestion is to get known as a person locally, rather than just a party. Quite a lot of folk vote for the party at local elections, but a hell of a lot do look at the candidate first.
If you are out, active, sorting stuff and volunteering then that really helps.
Facebook, love it or loath it, is important.
Councils run best when they have intelligent local folk in them, most councils have a lot of this but also a fair number of councillors from major parties in safe seats who often just coast along.

I’ve stood for Labour 5 times in the past and never got more than 90 votes. I am not a winner.

My suggestion is to get known as a person locally, rather than just a party. Quite a lot of folk vote for the party at local elections, but a hell of a lot do look at the candidate first.
If you are out, active, sorting stuff and volunteering then that really helps.
Facebook, love it or loath it, is important.
Councils run best when they have intelligent local folk in them, most councils have a lot of this but also a fair number of councillors from major parties in safe seats who often just coast along.

Couldn’t agree more with this. Our local councillor is brilliant and really looks after her community and gets issues sorted.

t councils also do life and death matters like social work, housing, education, road safety, sports, social exclusion, refugee settlement…

All true but, unfortunately, voters still get most animated about wheelie bins and pot holes. At our last council election I made a point of reading off of the candidate flyers. Not one candidate made even a single reference to Social Care, despite it being a defining issue of the current time and the single biggest pressure on Councils.

I’ve basically been on the losing side of every election since I could vote, so I’m used to losing. You never know though, one day…

You lose until you win. Maximum respect

Well done at least you have passed the vetting. I’m one of those “, people in who are willing to help” but I won’t put myself forward. I’m friends with a number of councillors and can say they’re all dedicated it can be an eighteen hours a day job for little money, less thanks and there is abuse both online and sometimes face to face. However at least two of them love it as they love helping people. Good luck to you

Well done, and good luck. We need more ‘normal’ people to stand for election. I had a crack at MSP elections (totally unwinnable seats) for the Scottish Parliament a few years back for similar reasons: I got fed up of shouting at the TV and eventually realised I needed to put my money where my mouth is. I lost, obviously, but it was a fascinating experience. Everyone should stand for election at least once in their life!

A friend of mine is about to step down as a Labour councillor, he’s done it for nearly 20 years, at one point was tipped for bigger things but I think he decided it wasn’t for him and remained as a councillor – I believe he is pretty proud of what he’s achieved.

He once told me he completely underestimated just how much time would be spent knocking on doors – at times it was relentless.

I’ve got huge respect for anybody who gets into politics if their intention is to make a difference to the local community, regardless of the colour. Good luck.

@paulmcg. I never knew that about you! Did you wear proper trousers or did you canvass in your flowery shorts?

I’m a bit of a closet politics geek and full of respect for anyone who chucks their hat in the ring for public office (except Tories, obvs).

In which case its a matter of banging on doors, convincing people that you couldn’t possibly be as shit as a Tory, and face a lot of rejection.

My mother informed me yesterday, that my 78 year old father (labour man and boy) told the local Tory councillor to **** off when he knocked the door recently. He’s quite well mannered normally. Shame they didn’t have a ring doorbell, would have made a great tiktok 😉

@v8ninety How did you get on?

Hey, thanks for remembering this! I lost, but managed to achieve a 17.6% swing towards Labour. Which in an area so blue that they think Gavin Williamson is a fine upstanding chap, I’m gonna take as a moral victory. I’ll try again next time 👍

I’ve been a vocal advocate for social justice, trade union rights and anything that would stop the awful right wing slide for my entire adult life.

Then why are you representing a party that represents none of those things and is utterly complicit in that awful right-wing slide?

I’ll try again next time

Good luck !

Then why are you representing a party that represents none of those things and is utterly complicit in that awful right-wing slide?

Interesting question. I think given the two party system that is currently in place, I’d rather be in the least worst party working with many others in it who share my thinking to steer the boat in such a way that I’d be comfortable with, than outside the party, loudly but ineffectually complaining whilst simultaneously being completely marginalised and disenfranchised.

I don’t make the rules of the game. But if I want to make any difference at all, I’d need to gain a little influence.

I don’t make the rules of the game. But if I want to make any difference at all, I’d need to gain a little influence.

That’s fair. It’s just depressing that well-meaning and decent people with socialist values see the only realistic political option as being a party that, in its current state, isn’t far from the policies and rhetoric of the NF and BNP 20 years ago. Not saying you’re necessarily wrong in thinking that, just a horrible consequence of that slide to the right.

in its current state, isn’t far from the policies and rhetoric of the NF and BNP 20 years ago.

Oh come on, the Labour Party??? I am no fan of the present Labour leadership but it is light years away from the vile hatred of the NF and BNP. That sort of comparison simply gives unwarranted credibility to neo-nazis.

I can’t personally support the Labour Party with its current leader who publicly, and proudly, claims to be more conservative than the Tories, and has totally recanted on his previous so-called “pledges”, but a massive Labour majority after the next next general election would IMO be a massive step forward.

Voters switching from the Tories and the LibDems to Labour always represents a positive move IMO. Although their inevitable disillusionment with a Labour government does carry the risk of strengthening the Tory/right-wing argument.

Which is why IMO there is a crying need for an alternative left-wing party in British politics. Voters need another choice beyond two essentially conservative parties.

I can see a potential path to PR in the next few years, and with it, the opportunity for people to actually oye for what they support, rather than merely against what they detest the most. This could go either way to be honest, but it would be interesting times at least. It’s fair to say that the two party system is rotten to the core though.

Oh come on, the Labour Party??? I am no fan of the present Labour leadership but it is light years away from the vile hatred of the NF and BNP. That sort of comparison simply gives unwarranted credibility to neo-nazis.

It’s openly trying to tap into the same sentiments as those groups, just doing it with a tad more subtlety.
A Labour Party in which everything is based around British values and immigration.
The only criticism of the Tory ‘send them to Rwanda’ policy being that it doesn’t go far enough.

A Labour Party that has a general loathing and disdain for the left.
Which vehemently supports freemarkets, military and monarchy.
A party that’s moulded itself to be completely in tune with all the raging bile of the British right-wing press.

It’s sobering that this is a party that so many reasonable and decent see as their only political option.

You think neo-nazis base their idealogy on “British values”?

I was hoping you might say that I had misunderstood your point and that you weren’t claiming the Labour Party “isn’t far” from the policies and rhetoric of the NF and BNP, obviously not.

Which is a shame because comparing a mainstream party like Labour with the far-right makes genuine discussions concerning the threat posed by the far-right (and I don’t mean just electorally) more difficult. Plus it makes them sound more credible.

You think neo-nazis base their idealogy on “British values”?

Yep.

Work gets you tea?

“It’s fair to say that the two party system is rotten to the core though.”

Have to agree with you about a potential path to PR opening up over the next few years. That it could go either way (as you say) has always been a worry for me though because there was a silver lining in the way the system managed to prevent the far right from gaining seats in Parliament.

That silver lining no longer exists now that the Conservatives have morphed into what is essentially a far right party.

The current silver lining that I’m holding on to is that should Labour fail to win an overall majority they will most likely form a coalition with the Lib Dems, whose price will surely be another stab at proportional representation.

I would be equally happy with either a Labour government or a Lib, Lab pact. A win, win as it were..