I feel really lazy now!

Nothing, not a bean have I posted since November! I have just caught up with my friend's blog and now feel totally inadequate...... Just that I hate, loath and abhor Christmas.....this year I have hurt by back (again) having had to lug far to much stuff too far. My cold has now turned into a truly horrible cough, probably something to do with going in and out of hot and cold places doing most of the childrens present shopping on the day before xmas eve!!!! My ribs hurt from coughing too much and all I want to do is go home!!!

Apart from the Christmas whinge (BAH!Humbug) I have not been idle, I have printed, folded, stuffed and delivered leaflets, I have phoned many people and I have only gone and gotten myself selected as the County Council Candidate for Delapre ward! What was I thinking, have I run completely mad, I am just hoping I don't let people down. I Need A Plan and my brain is somewhat fuzzy with this bloody cold! And we have a by-election, which means I have a polling day organisation to run without upsetting anyone!! With the computerisation of campaigning techniques and tools, we have forgotten how to run Polling Day (and more importantly Polling week) and polling day begins Wednesday Evening and polling week begins on the Monday morning. This is the time when you ram home the Message and the Message is Vote Labour! And in the present climate that is what people want a good old fashioned Vote Labour message, the message that traditionally says 'we will look after you from 'the cradle to the grave' however bad other things may get', you will have food, you will have education, you will have free health care, you will have a home, that says'by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone'.

There are some members of my constituency who do not seem to grasp this, and behave like small children who can't get their own way. I don't allow tantrums in my Committee Room, so anyone who decides to behave like that may as well just go home, if you are in my committee room you are there to work, you are there to do as you're told when you are told to do it, You accept, without question, that I am in charge because I know exactly what I am doing! Polling Day is about nothing else but getting bums on seats, it is not about policy, it is not about personality, it is about getting people to vote, preferably for your candidate.

Strop over, Luckily Anjona has a very good canidate in Geoff Howes, Party stalwart, very well known, led the council, champion of Northampton's historic market, was the Mayor, brought up in the Ward, does as he's told, and at least I know they will do as they are told. Bless.

Never say never again.....

Well here we are about to select our County Council Candidates for next year, and still working hard for the Party! Meanwhile there has been no sign of our new PPC, which is somewhat disappointing to say the least. We have some very able sitting Councillors and some very able prospective candidates and would appreciate some support from Clyde in the run up to this rather important election!

Tomorrow is a Labour Action day and we will be phone canvassing for 4 hours in the Labour Club from 12 noon until 4pm, and any help offered will be more than appreciated.

All over bar the shouting!

Tomorrow is D-day, as in the day that Northsampton South Labour Party finally select their (our) PPC for the next general election, local support is firmly behind my friend, at least as far as the activists are concerned. This is for obvious reasons, she works, she works hard and then she does more work, for The Party, the people and the community. She has principles, she has policies and she has integrity, so I am praying to the gods (whoever they may be) that those members who are eligible to vote give her their wholehearted support. Northampton South needs Anjona, The Labour Party need Anjona and the community needs Anjona, let us all hope they get her.

Again

So tonight we phone canvassed again for the Party, not for the prospective prospective parliamentary candidate but for the Party, although yet again (and this is weeks in) there was only one of the PPPC's with us, the others are all aware we do this every wednesday, so why, if they are serious about representing Northampton South and the Labour Party, are they not there?

Here we go.....

well it's 3 days to go 'til selection, one more mailing and then the hustings..... so far so good we hope, despite not because as they say.....

Finally moved!!

Well here I am, moved but seriously not unpacked! But am very glad I did. Anjona has been shortlisted with over 70% of nominations from the branches and a significant number of Trade Union and other affiliated organisations.

Hurray Hurray Hurray!!! But there is many a slip between cup and lip, so the serious campaigning continues! The difference between my friend and the other shortlisted candidates is that not onle is she campaigning to be selected, but that she is continuing to campaign for the Labour Party per se.

For example this week alone we have produced 2000 leaflets, folded and bundled ready for delivery tomorrow ( and the chances are that myself and Anjona will deliver them single handed), phone canvassed and contacted around 75 people, recruited a possible 3 new members, as well as Anjona's personal campaigning..... Not that I'm blowing any Trumpets ( actually more your full brass band.....including Euphonium, French Horn and full Percussion! ).

On a personal note I have the frustration of lack of internet and Sky Talk and the continuing unpacking saga......

Confused and concerned......

Why? As selection for Northampton South approaches I am confused and concerned that very few of those people applying for the seat actually come from Northampton, there are prospective candidates from London and as far away as Birmingham and Swansea. It seems that many 'politicians' will apply for any seat going, without any local knowledge, commitment or proven local activism, just to become a prospective parliamentary candidate! Not to mention those that apply whilst already having responsibilities in their own locality, personally I do not see how you can be an effective candidate AND fulfil commitments already made to the electorate in another constituency.

I would be asking questions such as, are you prepared to resign your commitments to concentrate on Northampton South, are you prepared to move to represent the electorate and most importantly why are you prepared to abandon those people who have put their faith in you to represent them?

I have always firmly believed that anyone who wishes to stand for election should live in the constituency (and if standing locally should preferably live in the ward! Although I do accept that this is not always possible.), have local knowledge and proven local commitment. This is the least the electorate deserve from their representatives, and tthe sooner 'politicians' recognise this the better it will be for all of us!

The papers again!!

Sometimes there are gems within the papers! The Guardian this week is running a series on the 'New Tories', one bit particularly caught my eye, regarding Health Visitors! apparently the Conservative Party are going to ensure that all new mothers receive regular visits from Health Visitors! My problem with this is not that all new mothers shouldn't receive support, but where exactly are a) these health visitors going to come from and b) where is the money going to come from to enable them to do their jobs effectively?

I have had 5 children, only two of whom survived infancy, Emma had multiple disabilities and was what is termed a neo-natal death, Sam and Eleanor were both victims of SIDS, when my youngest child was born the support of my health visitor was essential to me, but these were not minimal visits, these were daily visits for six months and further to that bi-weekly visits until Russell was 2. The majority of these visits were not funded by the NHS but by the CONI (Care Of Next Infant) Programme (based in Sheffield, details available from FSIDS) and I am very aware of how expensive it was and that if a sympathetic, empathic health visitor had not been available I would probably not have recieved this support.

How the Tories can carry on making these conflicting promises of both Tax Cuts and Improved Services is beyond me, I only have an O-Level in economics, but even I can do the math! Oh sorry, they are now the 'New Tories', where have I heard that before....

In the papers....

Over the past few weeks there have been some interesting little snippets regarding this government so called 'nanny' approach towards encouraging people to eat more healthily. The Tories stated not so long ago that they will be removing the red/amber/green labelling from food products that indicate how healthy certain products are as they are patronising to the consumer. Yesterdays Guardian covered a report that said that (due to the downturn) many of the supermarket offers are on unhealthy, high sugar, high fat, high salt pre-packaged food.

What intrigues me about this is why this is due to the 'downturn', and why no-one has put forward the notion that actually one of the main reasons convenience foods have gained in popularity over the past 20 years or so is because women, particularly, are increasingly time-poor. Not to mention advertising campaigns aimed at young children specifically, making it very hard for parents to resist the demands for branded products! Many more of us work, whether part-time or full time, shopping is something that is done during the lunch hour or after work and parenting tasks (such as reading with/to, helping with homework or simply playing) are relegated to the evening. Not to mention washing, cleaning, etc etc.

Overconsumption has increasingly been a problem within western societies, which in turn has led to an increase in health problems related to obesity both in adults and children. It is unecessary and if labelling products and banning advertising for unhealthy products is part of the answer so be it. This is not 'nannying' this is a responsible government and spurious arguments about 'consumer choice' etc really don't do it for me.

On the Move

Well decision made, I am on the move to Northampton. By the end of the month! I haven't moved area in over 18 years and at the moment it feels a bit scary, but at least I can be useful to Anjona (I hope) and will be closer to my Dad. My Mum died at Easter and I no longer feel comfortable being so far away from him.

This is a huge decision, unfortunately the education system in Northampton at present leaves a lot to be desired and despite a great deal of effort being put in by Anjona and other Labour Party colleagues to get new schools built in areas they are most needed by local children and their families, progress (due to opposition from both the Lib Dems and the Tories) is slow, so it has been decided that my son Russell will continue with his education in Kent and be remaining with his dad for the time being (at least until GCSE's are over). This will be the hardest part, but we have phones, we will have web-cams and visits back and forth and holidays, but education is so important and to move him now would not be in his best interests.

So time to pack, god I hate packing, my daughter Justine says it is because I have a butterfly brain and stuff like packing (and unpacking!) requires a form of organisation my brain finds very hard to cope with..........

Face Painting gets you noticed!!

So I am guilt ridden, I need to learn how to face-paint! I actually needed to learn how to face-paint yesterday when Anjona and I went to Kingsheath to support a local residents association event by providing free face painting for local children. After a slow start we were suddenly overwhelmed by huge numbers of children wanting their faces painted in every way imaginable from Spiderman to Bunny Rabbits. My inability to contribute meant that Anjona had to single handedly paint around 100 children's faces, so this is my next task, learn to face paint, all I need to do is find a willing child to practice on (our own having refused point blank, do they not trust me?).

But face painting gets you noticed, children like having their faces parents and the parents like it because we do it for FREE, and the added bonus is that when Anjona features in the press, or leaflets they may recognise her and consequently make the effort to vote for 'the face painting lady'! As a direct result of yesterdays activities Anjona has been invited to attend another community event next week and bring her paints!

If anyone has a willing child I can borrow to practice on I would be extremely grateful, otherwise I will have to go to the effort of capturing my son and tie him to a chair, not to mention never hearing the end of it!!!

Lets have a look at the NHS....

Why not, the NHS is one of the most amazing institutions in the world, so why do people insist on knocking it? My darling daughter Justine has spent the last 3 years training to be a Nurse, at the beginning of her course she was slightly sceptical, not susprising given the negative tales the press seem to love to print. Today however her passion for the NHS susprises me, she has seen first hand the improvements that have been made, even in the past three years, and cannot see herself working anywhere else.

I am very proud of her, not only for the achievement of qualifying (which was especially difficult as she is quite dyslexic) but also for the growth in her knowledge a belief, she has decided to campaign for the Labour Party at the next General Election, not just because her 'Aunty Jo' may be a candidate but because she wants to see a government who will maintain and continue to improve the standards of care provided by the NHS.

THE NEWS today is focusing on criticising the dental treatment available on the NHS, now I am annoyed! We forget what a huge organisation our health service is and that it will take time to improve everything. And things are improving, ten years ago when my daughter needed a brace we were unable to get treatment, ten years on when my son is in the same position we can, ok the waiting list is two years but it is better than no treatment at all. Ten years ago BUPA would not have been able to advertise services 'if you had to wait more than six weeks' for NHS treatment, it would have been at least two years for everything!!

So cast your minds back and realise how lucky we are as a nation to have such services and that we have a government that is prepared to make itself unpopular (especially in terms of taxation) to save it for us!

Strangely Interesting

It seems it is not only members of the Labour Party who are watching the outcome of the Northampton South selection, whether this is motivated by jealousy or just sheer bloody mindedness I don't know but sometimes it get's slightly irritating.

The latest bit of nonsense, regarding comments made by a certain Tory Councillor on Northampton County Council regarding Anjona's alleged conflict of interest (as Chief Exec of Northants Racial Euality Commission and frontrunner for Northampton South) must have taken some finding, personally I do not regularly read the blogs of minor Tory politicians, but maybe I should......

Regarding the comments made by the aforementioned Tory Councillor, it would not be unreasonable to suppose that in reality the Tories are shit scared that Anjona will be selected, because if she is they stand a very good chance of losing the seat. Their vote will be split, partly because of the BNP and partly because their vote is not stable and with a good local candidate many will return to voting Labour. The seat is a marginal and personality wise, commitment wise, profile wise, Anjona beats Brian Binley hands down.

Actually I am quite grateful for all information received because at least it gives me something to write about, so thank you and keep it coming.....

Happy Tuesday

Hurray Hurray, my darling daughter has passed her driving test at last (4th attempt) so that will make her very useful at the next General Election! I hate politics, I hate meetings, I don't like Conferences much, and most of the current membership of the House of Commons, quite frankly leave me cold! But somehow, someway I keep finding myself being re-involved. It's like an addiction, one can go for weeks, sometimes months at a time convincing yourself you don't care, then, by accident you put the news on, and there it is, POLITICS. This addiction has become harder to fight over the past 5 years for which I hold my friend, Anjona Roy, wholly responsible.

So here I am, 5 years since she first stood for election, making plans for the next General Election whilst awaiting Northampton South to, hopefully, select her as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. Leaflets, strategy, canvassing (preferably at least 95% by polling day), the BNP (who will certainly stand against her a) because she is asian, b) because she is a woman, but mostly c) because she is Chief Exec of Northamptonshire Racial Equality Commission (REC) and gets right up their noses by actively campaigning against them), lists, stickers, bodies (the technical term for how many people will be available polling day) and where I can get more from, hence the comment about daughter and driving!, cars, drivers, loudhailers, press coverage...........

So here it is, a political blog with a difference, from the back room as it were, where the leaflets are folded, where envelopes are stuffed, where doors are knocked on and dogs chase you (not often actually), where delivery maps are drawn (I get very upset when people lose my maps!), all the 'boring' stuff that can make the difference between winning and losing. Never forget the 7 P's, Proper Preperation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Hello happy shiny people