Four million conversations
January 8, 2015 7 Comments
If I ever write my political memoirs this could be the title – although admittedly a gross exaggeration. My fondness for canvassing is well known, as well as my view of its importance. I welcome Ed Miliband’s announcement of this as a target for the Labour Party in the short run-in to the General Election.
A couple of things, though. Why wait till now to announce this? I have been out most weeks since 2010, in fact since way before then. Also, I hope that the targeting so beloved in some sections of the party is largely set aside.
In the heady days of overwhelming Labour popularity, in the run-in to Blair’s 1997 landslide, it was a case of finding our support and reminding it to vote on the day. Nowadays we make do with barely a hair’s breadth lead over the Tories, and our task is as much about persuasion as it is about identification.
I can recall helping colleagues across Essex, and striding sometimes a hundred yards between doors. They were not spaced this far apart, it was in areas of dense terracing, but that was the gap between known Labour promises of support. I could not help but wonder about all those residing behind the doors we marched past. Surely everyone deserves to see and hear what Labour has to offer, both friend and foe?
As I approach my third General Election as candidate I am still determined to engage with everyone that I can. I know that I cannot get around to every door, and also that more doors are marked as ‘not at home’ than those that are answered. I am not in politics just to win elections, I want to change the world. I can’t see that happening if I just stick to friendly faces.
Also, regardless of their affiliation, I hope to be able to represent all in Southend West. It is difficult to represent someone if you have never spoken to them. I also believe that even the most die-hard Conservative supporter will start to question their loyalty if all they ever see is the Labour Party at their door. Besides, issues are issues regardless of who tells you about them.
Targeting is appropriate at times, and I am not blind to the reality of scarce resources. However, bequeathing whole swathes of supposedly unpromising territory lets down those Labour supporters who reside there, lets down those who cherish debate, and lets down democracy. It also makes victory too easy for our opponents in these places, and allowing them to allocate surplus resources to Labour marginals. Besides, I have personal experience of being a branch secretary in a ward that was (and still is) seen as a Tory stronghold, yet had one of the largest Labour memberships in my borough.
Canvassing does not just unearth voters, it encourages membership – which leads to activism and donation.
I recall a story of a little old lady who lived at the top of a sixteen or seventeen-storey tower-block in east London. She dutifully turned out to vote in a council election some years ago, and was one of perhaps a couple of dozen who opted for the Communist Party candidate. When asked why she voted for the Communist candidate her response was that he was the only one who knocked on her door. Sometimes just turning up is enough.
I think persuasion is hugely important. I certainly don’t think campaigning is just about finding our support and getting it to turn up. However I do not see the canvassing as playing the role of persuasion (certainly not in my campaigns). The persuasion should be done through the media, through policy and through evidenced action in local groups/associations (which I know you do). Once people see action they are more likely to be persuaded whereas I don’t think I ever changed someone’s mind for more than a day or two on the doorstep.
It does leave many of us in a quandary. Do we abandon our own voters to ensure victory elsewhere, or do we stand and fight in the hope that we will chip away and chip away until we get within sight of success?
Targeting self-perpetuates the ‘we cannot win around here’ argument, as we are expected to all but cede the territory without a fight.
Add in local elections and we get quite a complex picture, as we ponder whether we can make gains in the council chamber, and whether these gains come at too high a cost.
Roll on electoral reform ….
Also here: http://labourlist.org/2015/01/4-million-conversations-sometimes-turning-up-is-enough/
But how will you feel if after the General Election you have decreased the majority in Southend West by a little bit more than the amount that Polly Billington fails to get elected in Thurrock?
Likewise how will your Conservative opponents feel if they have put work into successfully defending their majority in Southend West with a majority increased by more than the amount but which they lose Thurrock?
Possibly a similar argument can be made about Lib Dems and Colchester – but perhaps the Conservatives determination to win back Clacton will mean their activists will go there rather than Colchester! “Carswell saves Russell”!
The argument unfortunately applies everywhere where there are marginals surrounded by “safe seats”.
The trick surely (and having been specific above I do not expect you to feel able to agree) is to put up paper candidates in your opponents’ safe seats and do just enough work to not be accused of being a paper candidate – and any work done should be in your target council seats. Then the activists all go off to the target seats.
One trouble with this is that being a paper candidate is lonely and uncomfortable because even though it serves your party well it is dispiriting and potentially humiliating on a very personal level. The other problem is that paper candidates can get carried away and think they may pull off a shock win – and start pulling in family and friends to work for them and that then escalates to activists doing the same!
Agreed, the idea that all parties have something to fight for and that all voters have someone to vote for seems so obvious! Parties claim to be all in favour of diversity – except when it comes to representation.
Four Million Conversations has just featured on Radio 4 the Now Show – to be repeated Saturday at 12:30!
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