The other by-election story
Remember the Grange Park Social Action Project at Conference last year? Party members helped in the rapid renovation of some wasteland into a community garden. William Hague helped by planting some Ffion Hague daffodil bulbs.
See our report on it here, and the Webcameron video below for more info:
The project was in the area of Park Ward, one of the Labour councillors for which recently passed away. We selected a local post master and community activist - Peter Collins - as candidate, Labour selected their ex-Council leader who lost his seat.
Two thirds of the ward is Lancashire's largest council estate and hasn't been held by a Conservative councillor in recent memory, but on the back of the social action project and the textbook campaign that was run there were Conservative posters up across the estate. The campaign was run by Simon Renwick, councillor from Fylde, and local PPC Paul Maynard.
The swing was still much bigger than could have been expected:
Conservative: 977
Labour: 448
BNP: 218
Lib Dems: 97
UKIP: 30
Conservative majority of 529.
Well done to Peter Collins (pictured next to Chairman Sue Ridyard, Paul Maynard and Simon Renwick), everybody in Blackpool, activists in the North West, and everybody who helped at conference for helping turn this seat blue!
Gordon Brown was rumoured to be coming to Blackpool for Veterans Day but suddenly doesn't seem so sure.
Well done Peter! Having spent some time on the estate during the campaign I was surprised by just how well the campaign was run and by the level of support from Party members from across the Region. Simon Renwick and Paul Maynard ran a military style campaign which should be used as a good example to others.
No doubt the Conservative Party's investment in the Chepstow Gardens Community Garden also helped Peter as this party funded project has built a fantastic community spirit on this tough estate and local residents have now seen that Conservatives can make a difference and are not just the party of the Home Counties. Again this was money well spent and if we are to make significant in-roads in the North, it is going to be from Conservatives mucking in and getting their hands dirty in areas that we previously feared to tread.
Posted by: John Coombes | 27 June 2008 at 10:42
I honestly don't know what to be happier about, this or the Henley result - spoilt for choice at the moment - lets hope this continues!
Well done to Cllr Peter Collins and all in Blackpool and also to everyone who helped with the social action project. A great result all round!
Posted by: Alex Agius | 27 June 2008 at 11:29
This is probably a more significant result than Henly. If ZaNuLab are losing their support in places like this there is no hope for Jonah
Posted by: Bexie | 27 June 2008 at 12:50
A brilliant result and congratulations to Peter Collins and all those who campaigned for the Party in the Ward.
I consider this a far more significant result for us than that in Henley. I hope all those members of the Party who poured scorn on the idea of Social Action Projects have noted this fantastic result and that all PPC's and Associations with look to perhaps putting in place a Social Action Project in their Constituencies. This result shows the value of the Conservative Party getting involved, and working, with local communities in this way.
Posted by: Michael Pudney | 27 June 2008 at 17:31
Great result, very well done.
Posted by: Cllr. Paul Kennedy | 27 June 2008 at 18:29
Two Labour gains from the Tories in Hatfield on the same night, to be fair.
Conservatives finished a poor third in both seats
District council
Lab 425
Lib 329
Con 319
BNP 138
Town Council
Lab 422
Lib 378
Con 347
Posted by: comstock | 29 June 2008 at 19:19