Are the Greens and Blues turning yellow?

[Pugwash]

I attended the Barry Area Residents Association (BARA) Hustings on 20th April, three labour candidates for East Dulwich Ward turned up along with a band of obvious labour supporters plus Jonathan Mitchell LD.

The organisers informed me that they had written to each party in March giving them the date of the hustings and wrote to each candidate individually once the lists were published for the East Dulwich Ward. They had anticipated one from each party to turn up. The Greens and Torys did not even bother to reply to the second letter ( the Torys had acknowledged the first letter) and since one of the Greens lived in the same road as the Community Centre, one of the BARA committee went along to their house to check if they were coming to the meeting. he did not get a reply.

This gives an indication to the voting public, I feel, that the Greens and Blues are only 'paper' candidates and have no real interest in the local community otherwise one of them would have represented their team on the evening. This suggests that there is a 2 horse race in ED Ward with Labour and LD the only real contenders.

Whilst the 3 labour candidates ably answered questions from the floor, it appears that for 2 of them it was their first hustings. It was clear that a number of 'labour plants' were in the audience asking specific questions. One chap used the question session as a means to do a 'labour party broadcast' and was shouted down by a number of people present who felt he was hogging the meeting. The number of questions from the floor were directed only at Jonathan, to the extent that the chair had to request that questions were fielded to all candidates. Jonathan clearly stood his ground even though at a disadvantage with 3 Labour candidates on stage.

I have not seen or been canvassed by the Greens or Blues, in fact nobody has seen these teams going around the ward. We have got the usual literature from all parties and I gather Kemi, the Parliamentary candidate has been seen at various hustings.

[DulwichResident]

I have seen the Tories about a number of times and have received a some leaflets from them.

[Amina Graham]

I think the greens and blues are turning yellow. I was also at that hustings and was very unimpressed that neither the Labour or the Conservative candidates bothered to turn up to it. Shows a real lack of interest in local issues until it comes to right up to the election when they start turning up - not a good sign for a future MP for our constituency. I'm now backing the lib dem candidate.......... www.jonathanmitchellsblog.com

[DulwichResident]

My understanding of those hustings was that the local candidates were the only ones invited and it just so happens that Jonathan Mitchell, knowing he can't win the parliamentary seat, is still standing as a council candidate also?!

I've also been to parliamentary hustings where Jonathan Mitchell was embarrassingly poor and it seemed that the only credible candidates were Tessa Jowell and Kemi Adegoke, the Conservative candidate.

[????]

FFS Give it a rest, it's so obvious and poor.

Incidentally, has anyone actually seen Kemi out canvassing?

[????]

You join today and all 5 of your post have been basically "Don't vote Liberal Democrat" we're not feckin idiots u know

[dc]

Mind you quids, Amina Graham appears to have joined the Forum with the almost sole purpose of plugging the Lib Dems and we now learn that Amina is, miraculously, 'now backing the Lib Dem candidate'. Hardly a Damascene conversion was it Amina? Agree with quids on this approach - pathetic. Bang on about politics if you want but just be open and honest about where you're coming from - you'll soon find out that people on here aren't stupid.

And to that end in the interests of transparency, as a long-term if not prolific poster to the Forum, I have, wherever relevant to my postings, and especially since being selected as a candidate, given my full name and have also stated plainly on the Forum that I am standing for Labour in Village ward. Duncan Chapman

[BARA]

When BARA Committee initially booked the hustings, the General Election date had not been announced, and although we did think of changing this to a GE hustings decided against it as there was not sufficient time to write to all parliamentary candidates to have a hustings on that date. All the local election parties were contacted in March at their appropriate headquarters/email addresses, then written to seperately to their home addresses in April.

[tomchance]

For the record, you're right that our Green Party candidates in East Dulwich are paper candidates. Without wealthy backers and under a punishing electoral system we are focusing our efforts in Southwark on South Camberwell (where Jenny Jones was elected in the previous locals) and The Lane.

It would be great if we could be active in every hustings across the borough, but we'd never manage to mount a serious campaign if we spread ourselves so thinly. I'm sorry the committee didn't get a proper reply to that effect but at this time in the cycle we're bombarded with hundreds of requests for hustings, petitions, policy questions etc. and sometimes requests slip through the net.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Just like to say, Tom, in a non-stalking sort of way, that judging on political flyer photos, you are the prettiest candidate and would have my vote but I'm in the wrong ward.

There you go, Quids, we women are shallow.

But at least we don't smell of biscuits.

[tomchance]

I do like a nice ginger nut, though I've not canvassed somebody who smelt of one.

[DulwichResident]

???? I'm not pretending to not have a bias.

What I am saying though, is that politicians should be straight with us. At the moment the Liberals aren't being by telling the electorate that the Conservatives don't have a chance.

Let me repeat: both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives could beat Tessa Jowell.

[tomchance]

DulwichResident Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What I am saying though, is that politicians

> should be straight with us. At the moment the

> Liberals aren't being by telling the electorate

> that the Conservatives don't have a chance.

It's par the course for Lib Dems to make the most creative use of past elections to push that message in any election. Conservatives and Labour are catching up, but the Lib Dems are the undoubted masters. Ironic for a party that claims to be fed up with an unfair electoral system.

Incidentally, this is a good place to collect examples:

Dulwich & West Norwood leaflets - http://www.thestraightchoice.org/constituencies/dulwich_and_west_norwood

Camberwell & Peckham leaflets - http://www.thestraightchoice.org/constituencies/camberwell_and_peckham