One word missing?

April 26, 2010 — simonashall

A couple of weeks ago I blogged that Lib Dem canvassers on the doorstep  had been misleading voters in Horsell West about the size of the existing Conservative majority in Woking. It’s not that the size of the majority is particularly important because it’s the vote on May 6 that counts but my feeling was that people deserved to know how a majority of 6,612 was being misrepresented as 2,000-4,000 to manipulate the psychology of the election. Clever – yes, honest – no.

I did not name the culprit as reported to me because I don’t think it’s hugely fair or relevant – the Lib Dems can’t simply cite one “rogue” doorstepper as any canvassing operation is a carefully organised process. That didn’t stop the Horsell Lib Dem candidate and her sidekick from challenging me on this allegation and demanding proof. Fair enough – I’d have done the same, although I am at least aware of what my team are telling people on the doorstep.

What I’d like to know is that if the Lib Dems really are serious about stamping this misleading information out, if they are taking it so seriously, why is it repeated in their latest leaflet?

Unless of course it’s a typo and the word “thousand” has been missed out between “few” and “votes”. Come to think of it, that’s probably the explanation. It would be no great surprise to learn that their proofreading is as bad as their maths.

Posted in Lib Dem lies, elections. Tags: , , , . No Comments »

Majority halved

April 14, 2010 — simonashall

I’ve just been out and come back from a Horsell Village Hall meeting and on my way I was told by a resident that they had been canvassed by the Liberal Democrats. Unfortunate enough at any time but particularly as this canvasser, who shall remain nameless, tried to tell the resident that the current Conservative parliamentary majority was “two or three thousand”. When challenged, they upped this to “three or four thousand”.

For those Lib Dems that don’t know and aren’t sure, perhaps you ought not to be misleading residents on the doorstep. It’s actually 6,612.

It’s little stunts like these that make me realise that while the Lib Dems like to profess ethical social views, their election tactics can be anything but.

Posted in Horsell West campaign, Lib Dem lies. Tags: , , . 7 Comments »

Horsell Action Day

April 10, 2010 — simonashall

There’s nothing better than a bit of politics when the sun’s shining, people are in and willing to talk and the parliamentary candidate is getting greeted on the street by people who recognise him from literature. But so it was this morning when we held an Action Day in Horsell for my campaign along with Jonathan Lord.

I’ve read an awful lot of baseless rubbish about him elsewhere and in some election literature, which I have addressed previously. While our opponents campaign on the importance of locality because they have little else to recommend their candidate, Jonathan is interested in meeting people to demonstrate the broad portfolio of personal and political skills that we believe would make him a strong and effective MP for Woking. It seems that people in Horsell High Street this morning understood this.

Far from quizzing him about where he lives – as Lib Dem activists have been asked to do if he calls – they are concentrating on the big picture. That is that we need someone to stand up in parliament and argue Woking’s case to the highest democratic authority in the land and that person needs to be charismatic and credible. He was greeted warmly both on the doorstep and in the street this morning by people from all parts of the village who can see what he would offer Woking as our representative if they back him on May 6.

It’s a common theme of Lib Dem literature to erect barriers - a barrier between Jonathan and his party, a barrier between Jonathan and Woking or between anyone else and the people they want to represent. Well, those barriers are all very well as election tools but they don’t exist in reality. As Conservatives, we must not talk the language of barriers, problems and disconnects but of accessibility, solutions and relationships – and watching Jonathan’s reception in Horsell this morning demonstrated to me the value of that approach and why I believe that ultimately it will win through.

Posted in Horsell West campaign, Lib Dem lies, Woking PPC, elections. Tags: , , , , , , , . 4 Comments »

Not winning here

April 9, 2010 — simonashall

Winning where, exactly?

On the junction of Grange Road and Woodham Road, the Liberal Democrats have decided to put one of their large posters up. That’s okay, they are allowed to do that and it doesn’t bother me – while posters are good to keep up the morale of activists, I don’t believe a single vote changes hands because of them.

What’s more difficult to understand is the Lib Dem slogan “winning here” on the orange background. Winning where, exactly? Certainly not in Horsell East and Woodham, where I cannot recall a Lib Dem councillor ever having been elected. In fact, the Lib Dems haven’t won a single election in Horsell in four years and we’re obviously working hard to try and make it five.  Nor can the poster refer to Woking constituency, where they have never held the parliamentary seat and according to the excellent Times Election 2010 website, there’s only a 10% chance that they will this time. So they aren’t “winning there” either.

Don’t get me wrong, there are places where the Lib Dems have won. I wouldn’t argue with the poster in Goldsworth Park, for example, nor in South Woking where they won last year. But putting up a sign on the Woodham Road saying that they are “winning there” is bogus and total nonsense. I prefer the one being used outside a house in Wheatsheaf Close that advertises Rosie Sharpley’s name – at least it’s honest and doesn’t give a totally false impression of the local politics.

Posted in Lib Dem lies, politics. Tags: , , , , , . 3 Comments »
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