Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.
This week’s diary is written by Jackie Doyle-Price, who was selected in July 2007 for Thurrock in Essex. She requires a swing of 6.5% to overturn the notional Labour majority of 5,358 in a seat where the popular Labour incumbent, Andrew Mackinlay, is standing down. His successor as Labour candidate is yet to be selected. Jackie, originally from Sheffield, now lives in Purfleet and is a policy adviser at the Financial Services Consumer Panel where she works on behalf of consumers to get fairer treatment from financial institutions. Read more about her campaign on the website of Thurrock Conservatives.
Saturday 28th November
As usual Saturday is spent out knocking on doors. Thurrock is classic swing territory and consequently we need to chase every vote if we are going to turn this seat blue at the forthcoming election. The Conservatives are currently in minority control of the council, thanks to the support of two independent councillors, So the political situation is neck and neck.
Despite Thurrock being seen, for Essex, as good Labour territory – it has after all only returned a Conservative MP for one Parliament in 1987-92 – it is noticeable that on the doorstep the Labour vote is in freefall. We have found some fantastic new candidates to fight our target seats which gives me considerable freedom to shore up the Conservative vote in our good areas. Today I led a team in South Chafford.
Sunday 29th November On Sunday I led a Social Action project with Charlie Key, our candidate in the Labour-held ward of Grays Riverside. We set out to clean Grays Beach of rubbish and flotsam and jetsam washed up from the Thames. We were supported by the charity Thames21 which works to clean up the Thames foreshore throughout London – obviously Grays is outside the London boundary, but I begged a favour. Thames21 provided wellies and kit and we set to work.
We had a fantastic turnout including Council leader Garry Hague, and councillors Rob Gledhill, Ben Maney, Eddie Hardiman and Danny Nicklen. Rob provided home-made soup which went down very well on a cold November day. Our 20-strong team managed to shift many bags of rubbish, including gas pipes, tyres and the ubiquitous shopping trolley. The most interesting find was some empty shotgun cartridges, although Vic from Thames 21 had told us that in the past they had found a human skull so we came off quite lightly.
Charlie has well and truly rattled Labour’s cages with his campaign so no-one was surprised when we were joined by Labour councillor and their would-be parliamentary candidate, Carl Morris. Here he is trying to avoid being pictured with the ‘Win with Jackie’ team!
Monday 30th November
After a day at work I headed down to Westminster for a meeting with fellow candidates and council leaders and MPs with interests in the Thames Gateway. The Thames Gateway project was conceived by a Conservative Government but after appalling mismanagement under Labour it has become thoroughly discredited. It has been transformed from a project intended to provide necessary economic development to the East of London and both sides of the Thames Estuary to one which has become little more than a dumping ground for Labour’s housing targets. For those of us interested in positive economic outcomes for the region this has been a frustrating process.
In Thurrock we are at a stage where significant projects have been planned yet are now in jeopardy as the Government seeks to plug the fiscal black hole. In the last two months we have seen the funding for a new state-of-the-art further education learning campus pulled and the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation has had to surrender £10million of its budget to be given to London boroughs to meet their obligations in connection with the Olympics. It is rumoured that the Government is to fold the Development Corporations into the Housing and Communities Agency. If this happens it will signal the death knell of a number of important projects here in Thurrock, and will confirm that for this Government economic development in the South East is about nothing more than building houses.
Tuesday 1st December
Down to CCHQ to celebrate Eid-al-Adha with the Conservative Muslim Forum. The event was very busy and attended by David Cameron and Eric Pickles. As usual at such events I bumped into a number of parliamentary candidates and we all shared our frustration that the election cannot come around soon enough for us.
Wednesday 2nd December
A busy day at work and no escape from politics as I spent the day grappling with the Government’s Financial Services Bill. With such a short parliamentary session in prospect, the content of the Queen’s speech is little more than a series of gimmicks. The evening saw a session of telephone canvassing as we slowly but surely identify our pledges.
Thursday 3rd December
Thursday evening and a campaign team meeting to plan the months ahead. There is so much to do and we candidates are asking more and more of our volunteer supporters as the main event grows ever closer. The weekly audit of our pledges is showing good progress.
We reflected on the news that BNP leader Nick Griffin has announced that he intends to fight Barking at the General election. We were very pleased to hear this as he had intended to fight Thurrock. The BNP have however failed to make the breakthrough they had anticipated and there are signs that their support is falling.
Too often we see politicians of all colours behave like rabbits caught in headlights when the BNP start to make gains in particular localities. If we focus on our own messages, stick to our agenda, but make sure we get out and be active, they will be defeated. It is notable that the BNP and other minority parties thrive only when the established parties are weak or have become complacent. Griffin’s departure means that the fight in Thurrock will be a straight one between the Conservatives and Labour. Bring it on!
Friday 4th December Delivery walks and bundles were prepared by the team and left me with little to do so I get a night off...
Saturday 5th December
An Action Day of leafleting and the team convene at the Conservative Club in Grays before hitting the streets. Cllr Hardiman led a canvas team in one of our target wards, while we focused on one of our good areas. There is a very positive buzz in the bar afterwards. We will all be back next week for the club quiz night.
Sunday 6th December
As the rest of the country prepares for Christmas, so must I. As the Thurrock is the retail capital of the country it isn’t too difficult to get in a bit of Christmas shopping!
Last week's Diary was written by Trevor Ivory, PPC for North Norfolk
