Interesting Campaigning Strategies
I was out canvassing in Chatteris yesterday for the Fenland District Council elections. It seems that our rather unusual Lib Dem candidate has adopted a strategy of riding around on his bike, finding out where we are working and then rushing ahead to deliver an incredibly negative leaflet (which has now been torn up and thrown in a bin in front of me at least 3 times!!).
Compare that to something of this quality.
But it could be worse, he could be bribing unknown children to deliver his leaflets - a policy that is, I believe, still endorsed by the Lib Dems
Compare that to something of this quality.
But it could be worse, he could be bribing unknown children to deliver his leaflets - a policy that is, I believe, still endorsed by the Lib Dems
Labels: Cambs Lib Dems, Fenland
posted by Martin Curtis at 11:57 AM
7 Comments:
Firstly the "unknown children" you speek of are myself - a candidate for The Mills for Chatteris Town Council, and March North for Fenland District council - and my younger brother. I would like to assure you that no bribing has taken place, or will ever take place from this household.
Secondly, Chatteris is the poor relation in fenland, and this is proven in you leaflet of such immense quality... The only mention of Chatteris is about a "mini Science park" - and the public have never heard about this... we are now asking ourselves "have they made this up?!".
It is a shame that I have not yet come accross a Conservative Councillor from fenland that can answer any of the questions we distributed in our appauling literature. Perhaps you can assist me by answering them:
1) Why does FDC treat Chatteris as the poor relation in Fenland?
2) Why haven't we got a leisure centre when all other Fenland Market Towns have?
3) Why aren't FDC going to spend any of the £620,000 they've recently taken frem Chatteris, in Chatteris?
4) Why does Tory run FDC refuse to contribute capital funds to a liesure centre ir the King Edward Centre?
5) What has FDC ever done towards youth provision in Chatteris?
6) If the Tories Have achieved so little here, for so long, why should this "get stuffed Chatteris" attitude miraculously change is they are reelected yet again?
I do hope you manage to find the time in your busy schedule to reply to this.
Verity Roscoe, standing for a better Chatteris.
To the person above me. I hardly feel such immature behaviour is neccesary, especially on such a serious issue.
Now i know the aforementioned candidate, Miss Roscoe and i would like to reinforce the points which she has made. She is certainly above such comments ipso facto a exceedingly good candidate.
As a citizen of Chatteris i would like to apologise to both Miss Roscoe and Yourself for the demeanour of the previous 'commentee'.
However, i would still like to see you answer the questions that Miss Roscoe has put forward and justify your original blog
Yours Sincerely
- Holden Tyers
Mr. Curtis,
I am surprised that you seem to know whats best for Chatteris, especially when the Conservative Candidates standing in Chatteris seem to know so little about it. I would indeed like to know why you are canvassing in Chatteris, and how you can persuade people to vote for the Chatteris Conservative Candidates when your prime concern is Whittlesey.
Seeing as you are able to canvass in Chatteris, you can also address my concerns.
Why has Cllr Newell ignored my email dated two weeks ago?
Why have the Conservatives not done anything about the dangerous junction of East Park Street and Wenney Road?
Why does the Conservative Party rant about Cllr Howes in the Mills Ward's literature when he is standing in Slade Lowe?
If you could so kind answer these questions seeing as you know what's best for Chatteris,
Chris Randall
The unknown children are a reference to the document I linked to which explains "the freitag method" which is a disgraceful campaigning strategy endorsed by the Lib Dems in the campaigning guide which they have sold at their party conferences, this basically involves candidates bribing children they have never met with sweets in order to get them to deliver leaflets.
I have campaigned in Chatteris because I have no elections myself and want to help the Conservative cause wherever I can - I have helped elsewhere in Fenland too. If this is something that I should not be doing, please let your own Party know - because it is one of their particular strengths. They have teams of people who travel around the Country helping in by-elections with which they have no personal connection whatsoever. So that comment is yet another example of Lib Dem hypocrisy.
I deleted the somewhat rude comment and I recognise that the 3 commenters had no role in that.
I am not going to get into Chatteris specific questions - I have not done so throughout the campaign, suffice to say that there has been a lot of mischief making by the Lib Dems through this campaign and it is a shame that the only way the Lib Dems feel they have a chance of being elected is to be totally negative about such a great Town. People need to look at the real situation and realise what a great job the Conservatives have done throughout Fenland.
I am not a hypocrite, nor is any of my family. I do not take kindly to being called one.
The "unknown children" must have been seen in order for you to write a blog involving us. As I am a candidate you must realise that I am at least 18 - and so leagally I am an adult. There has been no bribing whatsoever, and if you would kindly retract that statement I would be grateful.
I do believe that the reason you refuse to answer Chatteris specific question - like ever other tory FDC councillor I have come across - is because you simply don't have answers to the questions, none of you do.
I did not say that helping in other wards and constituencies is wrong, I myself have aided in campaigns elsewhere. I have delivered to other chatteris and march constituencies infact.
"People need to look at the real situation and realise what a great job the Conservatives have done throughout Fenland. " What are thrse please? I see no leisure centre in Chatteris, no do I see any youth prvision throughout Fenland. I realise the recylcing has been a success, but what has FDC done in the last 20 years??
Verity Roscoe, Standing for a better Chatteris
Firstly, I am not a member of the liberal democrats, so I'm afraid it would not be hypocrisy.
I think what the Lib Dems are aiming at in these local elections is that Chatteris has the potential to be a great town. However, due to probably a mixture of complacency and narrowmindedness, not very much has been achieved over last 20 odd years. The lib dem candidate has brought some of the issues up in her comment.
Even if the Conservative Party are actually willing to change after this election, why should they be given the chance? To add to this, the Conservative party already have a majority; its healthy for democracy to have a strong opposition party on the District Council.
Also, Chatteris does seem to be the poor relation in Fenland. This is not being negative towards Chatteris, its being negative towards FDC's attitude to Chatteris. Chatteris DON'T have a leisure centre and its been evident for a long time that the residents of Chatteris want one. However the council still decided spending a lot of money on a survey to confirm this was necessary. Even so, nothing has yet been done.
Voting in Lib Dems on Thursday will provide healthy competition and ensure the Conservatives do not get complacent. Sooner or later people are going to start realising the very little the Conservatives have achieved, and Lib Dems are going to make this more obvious, and help to move towards a better Chatteris,
Chris Randall
I did not say in any way that anyone in Chatteris had used the Freitag Method. Read what I said:
"It could be worse, he could be..."
The argument that Fenland needs opposition is totally erroneuous. We survived the last 4 years with very little opposition and delivered improvements across the board. It is why Fenland are nominated for (and winning) awards on a regular basis. It is not just me saying that - it is organisations like the Audit Commission, or places like the Guardian or the Local Government Chronicle who have shortlisted Fenland for those awards (and for far more than just our recycling scheme).
People should vote tomorrow (IMHO)based on their view of what is best: candidates who have done nothing except run down their Towns, or candidates who have been intimately involved in success and making both Chatteris and Fenland a better place.
I would love to engage further in this conversation - but I am afraid I cannot, I have a paper to submit to the Open University by midnight. That is genuine.
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