Peninsula 2

Day 25: Chelmondistan and Brantham with local Councillors. A very good and positive response yet again though afternoon canvassing does mean alot of "outs." Meet a good number who have voted already via postal votes. Still 1 in 3 undecided.
In Brantham, we meet lots of people and residents glad to see a candidate. There is a perception of no one calling but with South Suffolk so big, its easy to see why people could think that.
I must thank Trot and Paul they are great guides and know so many people. They've been at the heart of parish life in Brantham for a long time. They are constantly optimistic and a good laugh, just what a candidate needs!

Peninsula

Day 24: Stutton, Shotley and Tattingstone today. The local geography of this area is fantastic with Alton Water and the estuary. Land is looking very dry by now. Learn about a very green primary school and then away canvassing with Dave Wood the local councillor. Visit an amazing redevelopment of the old workhouse. It seems ages since we did GCSE fieldwork at Alton water and this building was in a desparate state. Just occasionally you see a modern development and you think wow and this does that to me.

When there's a lack of pavements

Day 22: Afternoon in Hadleigh and a good chat with the local Police sorting traffic/parking problems near the school. Local councillors know their constituents so well, its impressive. Plenty of posters up.
Layham and Raydon in the evening. A bit of dodging the traffic that doesn't seem to adhere to speed limit. Shame the Marquis is not open at the end of the canvass.

Question Time

Day 21: Day is dominated by the Churches Together in Sudbury Question Time in St Peters. A near full house. Questions are all on national issues with no local ones. Topics range from Israeli - Palestinian conflict, economic recovery, and is a manifesto a contract?
Thought provoking questions especially on what politicians can do about the moral behaviour of the banks? Most questions were directly answered by all the candidates, no games between the Conservatives and UKIP this time. Interesting that if anyone was a target from those 2 parties it was me this time. Consequence of the polls?

The first day of rain on the campaign trail

Day 20: Probably even less expected than the polls has been the weather. The light rain will help farmers a bit but more is needed. Anyway, no dampening of enthusiasm for the intrepid small band in Elmsett today.
Some more posters up and the lack of loyalty to the main parties is more evident. People sense something extraordinary and the result nationally will probably be the end of the "1st past the post" system. The Observer runs a brilliant piece on the political make up of the UK based on share of the vote and number of seats under the present sysytem. Each one is called either "grotesque, beyond parody or democratically abominable."
Looking at the polls, do even the Tories secretly wish we had PR?

Meeing Places

Day 19: The morning in Hadleigh is a chance to meet and greet shoppers. A good reception and I also join the local Guides at an event for an impromptu photo as they try to raise funds for a trek around the Isle of Man to raise money for Save the Children.

Lunchtime brings Sudbury Market Hill and a chance to meet and greet more shoppers and some canvassing in the town centre streets. Get a few shouts from cars that sounded supportive or was that wishful thinking? Its still a unusual feeling walking around with a rosette on where you normally shop!

Today brings 2 recent former soldiers raising the issue that the army still need better kit and the difficulty injured former soldiers have with the benefits system. Its a scandal that needs to be changed quickly.

Finish the day with the article on the EADT website about the upsurge to us putting Mr Yeo at risk.

How can 3 years go so quick?

Day 18: Bogged down in the nicest sense with Yr 11 school reports. How can 3 years pass so quick? It seems like only a few months ago that my tutor group were newbies to the Upper School and now in less than a month they leave or go into the Sixth Form. Its the most difficult job putting into a few sentences their successes and areas for improvement on a report when you've got to know them so well. People do not understand what goes into this career.

Join Bryn Hurren (local councillor) in Edwardstone for the hidden treasures of South Suffolk. The roads make you feel you are going round in a circle but the landscape is truely amazing on a glorious sunny evening and despite the number of shingle drives that do untold damage to the soles, its a good evening. The local pub, the White Horse, is a lovely finishing stop and some good discussion is held with the locals in the bar over a locally brewed beer.

A safer place to live.

Day 17: Councillor duties must not be ignored. Chair Safer Neighbourhood Panel for Sudbury and Great Cornard where residents raise issues and the team feedback on the progress of the previous months priorities. The hot, sunny weather in the school holiday has set off some unpleasant anti social and nuisance behaviour. The Police team are excellent and explain the new powers they will use and resources for their PCSOs to use. We re-set 2 priorities on Broom St and Gaol Lane and a new one for Acton Lane. The team really do care about their community and the residents know they are working ever so hard to solve it. The public also appreciate this contact and feedback with the Police eventhough they get fustrated. I'm sure the the Officers also appreciate the thanks they get too at this meeting.

In the evening its back to Clare. Meet up with the team and have a very positive session out on the doorstep. There are alot of genuinely undecided voters. The leader debate has continued to spark interest and some real exchange of views are now taking place on the doorstep. :)

Question Time Round 1

Day 16: Radio Suffolk Question Time recorded with all 4 candidates due to be aired 30th April. This is question time with first time voters in the Prospect Theatre at GCUS. A very good range of questions from job prospects, health priorities, fuel prices, higher education, "free schools" policy and expenses.
A good natured affair on the whole with just 1 exchange of hostility between Yeo and Campbell-Bannerman on Mr Yeo's expenses which was clearly pre-planned by UKIP. The audience was the 17-18 year olds, it was their questions but didn't the sitting MP and MEP play to the radio audience. As a result the feedback from the young people and staff was clear that I had been the most direct in answering the questions.

Next, Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, beautiful location and buidings and a thoughtful and lively Q & A after I spoke for a short period to introduce myself, explain why I'm a Lib Dem and what the main policies issues are. I really enjoyed it, a highlight so far, time flew by.
Good luck to Lizzie the student Lib Dem candidate there.

Balancing act

Day 15: Back to work today, lovely to see tutor group and students. Lots of interesting questions from them, this is a balancing trick and a half with the campaign. An evening in Glemsford with local councillor Rex Thake. Bump into the first opponents out and about as a Tory leaflet is delivered.

7am start

Day 14: Monday is a 7am opening of Jacquis cafe in North Street, Sudbury. Great breakfasts, good drinks and great staff. This is an offshoot from staff from the Waggon & Horses. I hope they have every success with their venture.

Back to work. Budget update and realisation that school budgets are being cut or frozen now! The Tories at Suffolk have reduced the size of the pot for SEN and the Government have frozen money for Sixth Form via the LSC. No account of pay award in the funding. No redundancies but other schools are.

Evening is over to help Kathy Pollard with a residents survey on 4 streets in Pinewood near the new Suffolk One Sixth form centre about the proposed parking restrictions. Great doorstep councillor work getting the views of residents whether for or against the proposals so views can be represented accurately. Lib Dem Councillors work hard for you and Kathy especially.

You're the only one to have replied

Day 13: Recovering from long car journey decide time to make sure all email enquiries have been dealt with. Top of the poll is Be a voice for nature from the RSPB, with Cancer Research UK next and £97 billion on Trident third. There have been many topics and issues but alarmingly I've now had a good number of lovly thankyou's where people also say, I am the only candidate to respond to their enquiry. People can be their own judge of the other candidates.

Sunday pm is meet the residents in Washbrook and Copdock with a drop in and tea. Kathy Pollard the local councillor does a sterling job here and knows so many people. Strangely, we are called upon by several people I normally see working in Sudbury, friendly faces always welcome and enjoy the talk and chat with some former ardent Tories!

No clouds and sunburn

Day 12: Anticyclone and no flying means not a cloud or vapour trail in the sky today. There is an unbelievable silence too with no Stanstead flights.
Clare and Cavendish are a great mix of old and new, big and small houses. Clare also gets first prize for best sandwich so far at the deli and cafe in the High Street. Interesting, how one farm with boards its fields can give a disproportionate feel!
The pub on the Green at Cavendish gets the prize for best pint on this tour of South Suffolk (please note probably first pint while out on doorstep but it was needed today!)
The Nick Clegg performance continues to be the first thing most on the doorstep mention. Nick has really set things alive. It is going to be an interesting 2 weeks still to go.

Street Lights outside bedroom windows

Day 11: Monks Eleigh is yet another treasure of South Suffolk with its community store and varied architecture. This is the morning after the night before, when the leaders debate occured.

Nick Clegg excelled and on the doorstep he has won by a mile and even non Lib Dem voters think it. Personally, I think, Cameron looked agitated, annoyed that it wasnt going well. Brown did better than probably people thought he would do but his attempts to say we'll reform, were rightly smacked down by Nick Clegg, by pointing out "so why did your MPs vote against recall of MPs who have done wrong?"

I think a chord has been struck. For 65years we've shifted between these 2 parties, its time for change that works for you.

Photo call this pm with 2 young women, I've been helping, who have homes on a new development where they go out and come back to find street lights erected by their bedroom windows. Just a bit of common sense and an odd metre here or there and there would be no issue. The streets are not adopted yet by the council so its getting the developer to shift them before the roads adopted.

By election day

Day 10: Little Waldingfield is a delight. A beautiful village close to Sudbury. The positive welcome continues but here immigration is a big issue but for some with a real anti European point of view. I wonder about the illogicality of one comment that they want no migrants here but they wish they could move to ....

Evening brings the Count for 2 by elections. We win in Great Cornard South with 41%, Cons 37% and Labour 22%. A Lib Dem gain from Con. Colin Wright will be an excellent councillor.
In Sudbury East, we lose to Independent Nicky Dixon (who will be excellent) but we get 47% which is a great performance by Oliver Forder.
That is 3 out of 4 wins in by elecctions in a month. The Tories are losing their grip.

Hold onto those balloons

Day 9: Market Hill, Sudbury might have been cold from a chilling wind but a warm welcome was received from shoppers on the whole. The odd Tory made their point which was usually funny, the team gave out balloons and leaflets and some good discussions were held. Non Sudbury members of the team came away very positive.

Next the BBC Breakfast crew were up to feature a behind the scenes look at a campaign. We'd organised a visit to then highlight the issues facing small businesses and the need for more vocational training. Little Cornard was used as its got a great range of academic and highly skilled craft workshops. We even gave them some electric guitar.

PS. Not exactly sure what Labour, Tory and UKIP offered but of no consequence as not using item an email tells me today.

Affordable Housing needed

Day 8 Labour should be worried. Today, lots of past Labour voters not going to vote. How could the Government and the body politic allow such disconnection. Yet, when I explained how the Lib Dems would reform politics with recalling MPs, PR and taking the big money out of politics, there was a resonance.
Join Parish councillors from Melford over their site to provide some affordable housing, problem Melford is over 3000 people so government rules do not allow exception sites outside boundary of built up area. This is crazy. We need affordable housing and labour isnt helping rural areas.

Most interesting comment of the day, goes to an elderly gentleman whose pearl of wisdom was, "what any government needs is a strong opposition." How true, how well can Parliament scrutinise the Government? And big majorities bring don't allow it.

Just when you think the piles are getting smaller!

Day 7: Leaflet piles have a tendency to spread across the floor and just when I thought real progress had been made and the carpet was really visible again, along came the next one. Getting to the kitchen is becoming like one of those sport exercises you see where you have to run on tip toe.

To the campaign. Half the day was lost taking youngest daughter to hospital for some jabs, she's going to do Childrens Nursing in September and the list of vaccinations before she starts is long!

Another friendly, warm welcome day on the new estates of Sudbury and I called into school to see a few of my students busy doing coursework and revision classes in the library during the Easter Holiday. I'm sure they'll get the payback with their grades.

Byelections on Thursday in Sudbury East and Great Cornard South. Results and turnout will be interesting.

Persuading the disillusioned to vote

Day 6: Do MPs realise what they have done? Today, has been one where people who need a voice feel they have no one to trust. As a new boy to this, it is shocking that people should be so disillusioned with politics. I had 3 good conversations with residents who weren't going to vote but by the end of listening to them, I had persuaded them it was their real chance to have their say. Democracy matters!
The public actually really like the idea of co-operation. Well done Vince and Nick for raising this on debt and deficit.
As one resident said today, big majorities are so dangerous.
Highlight of the day, a fellow (now retired) teacher offering to teach my classes so I could campaign more!

A long day finished with a pint of Mauldons

Day 5: By elections on Thursday 15th for Sudbury East and Great Cornard South at Town/Parish level meant today was blitz day with a team leafleting in Sudbury East. This ridge of high pressure and associated sunshine has made everyone come outside and do their gardens which means some good chats while going around. What is clear is that too many residents are not used to having their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate on the doorstep! How sad is that.
Highlight of the day, was the car stopping, the window opened and a "I was Labour but voting Lib Dem came with a friendly smile."

Surprises

Day4: Sometimes when you're wondering how will that get done, the phone rings and an offer of unexpected help solves it. Rare but today was one of those moments.
Momentum is building and there is a good vibe when out. Former Labour councillor admits they wont do well here to me as I helped deliver his street with our Flying Start leaflet.

Lib Dems will not allow Banks to charge its customers unfairly. Our Consumer manifesto is excellent with proposals on energy prices and water charges. The scandal of the energy you use being more expensive at the beginning and cheaper the more you use is unfair to those in fuel poverty and on low incomes.

Local development framework creates heat

Day 3: Today was one mainly in the Council Chamber. Important issues on the future of the District Council and working with Mid Suffok District were discussed. The Council is not just considering shared services with MSDC but also a single Chief Executive and Senior management team. Operationally, 2 councils could act as 1 while still being separate constitutionally. The future may bring 1 Council covering both areas. Of course, Unitaries may still reappear but status quo is not an option, the finances will not allow it.

The local development framework was the issue that caused my colleague Martyn Booth to be his impassioned best. Martyn, I and others were not happy that the Regional Plan expects Babergh to put an extra 2416-3561 homes here between now and 2031, 60% were proposed to be in Sudbury and Great Cornard (1446 or 2136 in worst case scenario).
The Government has not invested in the infrastructure and the real concerns lie with the road infrastructure. Though broadband and water/drainage were also raised. We need affordable homes and internal migration will still bring people here. Yet, our main market town struggles now with traffic. Witness the nightmare that was Church St/Friars St while Cross St was closed.
Officers are going away to rewrite the questions for the consultation with the public.

On the doorstep, Newton Green confirmed the disillusionment with Labour here in South Suffolk. It was good to catch up with parents of former students and hear how they are succeeding. A good positive welcome. Though some are really fearing the overdose of media coverage in the next month!

To relax, its time for Outnumbered. Though the line who would you vote for to be PM to the little girl, gets the answer Simon Cowell. This has unnerved me!

Political Reform

Day 2: So the Tories now think, recalling your MP is a good idea and Labour believe fixed terms would be the best. Lib Dems led the way on both, now they follow or do they? Why did the Tories oppose recall? Why have Labour opposed, done nothing on PR till just before an election and then dropped it again?
On political reform, they talk about it but only we can be trusted on it.

On the doorstep, another friendly and good day. More apologetic Conservatives found. Cameron should worry about this. Some didnt even know if their Conservative MP was restanding.
Won a prize too, a lady in Shimpling Street thought she would go the whole campaign without seeing anyone, day 2 of the campaign and she did. :):)

Day finished with a nice BBC problem.

Sunshine for the start

Day 1 of the real campaign.
Lord Andrew Phillips opened the Bury St Edmunds office and 3 PPCs, David (Bury St Edmunds), Belinda (West Suffolk) and I joined in the short speeches and the numerous supporters by the M&S store and the Methodist Church in the centre of Bury. I think Bury St Edmunds could be an interesting result to watch.

Clear message, we've had 65 years of Labour and Tories making the same old mistakes over and over. The choice in this election is more of the same or real change with the Liberal Democrats.

With sunshine, it would be have been wrong to avoid the doorstep! I must admit, it made me feel a tad old when I met 2 former students who are now mums. Came away one proud teacher.
As for the politics, the Tories are not popular, had several "I've always voted Conservative but this time its probably Lib Dem." :)
The fair tax message is going down well.

Finally, I returned to the email correspondence. Protecting the BBC was the new big issue today. The RSPB "Voice for nature" and the POWER2010 continue to bring in the emails. Amazing how close many of these campaigns are to Lib Dem policy and beliefs.

Quiet Bank Holiday

What a quiet Bank Holiday!? As everyone gone away fearing an election tomorrow?
After an hour and a bit driving lesson with youngest daughter around the mini roundabouts of Bury St Edmunds, the day has been one of delivery.
Not only were the roads quiet but hardly anyone was in their garden to chat, say hello to and do a quick canvass. For those who were, they definately don't want Labour back.
Thanks to the man busy with his car who got up, called me back after giving him a leaflet and said, " just realised, you're the guy on the leaflet, you've got my vote."
Today's sample would not be statistically reliable but the big 2 are not popular and MP expenses keep being mentioned very quickly.

1st Question Time at Sudbury Upper School

Wed 31st March saw the start of the campaign minus the UKIP candidate and Tim Yeo MP. Conservative County Cllr James Finch stood in at short notice for Mr Yeo.

The 1st time voters of Sudbury Upper Sixth Form offered a range of interesting questions featuring:
1. How would you keep university open to everyone on cost grounds.
2. Were people of privilege (and leaders such as Cameron) able to relate to people in poverty?
3. Was it right to go to war in Afghanistan and what are the policies for the future on this region?
4. What are your plans for the future of the NHS?
5. Was the recent budget a disaster? What were the main problems with it?

Thanks to the Headteacher Mr Forrest for chairing the Q&A and Nigel Brown, Head of Sixth Form for organising it. The debate was polite, good mannered and the questions were on the whole fully answered. I hope the audience thought so.

Feedback from my daughter has been really positive, her friends were telling her how they would be voting the next day. I'll just :)

Suffolk Tories don't see value of Middle schools.

I read the Cabinet papers on the Sudbury/Great Cornard School reorganisation which includes all the village primary schools and Stoke by Nayland middle school. What a predictable report.

Predictable because it denies failings in their reorganisation, it dismisses with contempt parents concerns and seems contradictory with OFSTED findings.

Dismissed are parent concerns over staff retention while middle schools are run down to closure.
Dismissed are parents beliefs that middle schools add to the pastoral care and social aspect of school.
Dismissed are parents belief their children benefit from specialist facilities Middle schools have but primary schools do not have.
Dismissed are "Good" OFSTED reports of Middle schools because they arent getting the results Suffolk want overall. Why the contradiction? Who is wrong here?

To me the biggest risk is funding. The paper suggests that the primary school building work is reliant on the sales of sites to be disposed of and so borrowing is needed.
For the secondary schools, the risk is the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) cash. They admit there will be a gap between reorganisation and getting the cash for work.

How long? All they will need? Will the Tories maintain the programme or will they hive off funds for other reasons ie cutting the deficit or those new schools their "choice" policy might bring? And the what choice might that give others?

Raising standards needs well funded, well resourced schools and quality training for staff and our children who have disadvantages need the support to raise their literacy and numeracy as early as possible in primary schools so they can access the subjects or vocational courses that our secondary schools offer.

Complete consultation on MP expenses

Here is everyones chance to have their say on MP expenses by completing the on line consultation by IPSA on the expenses for MPs in the next Parliament. It can be found at http://mpexpensesconsultation.org.uk

Let us hope the work is done before the election is called. A good reason for an election on May 6th? Any earlier and IPSAs work will be undermined.

A test to how serious reform will be Mr Brown?