Archives for March 2010

Crawley Labour Party have chosen local man Chris Oxlade to replace Laura Moffatt as candidate for the next election, after her sudden decision to stand down.

The Crawley constituency is the seat that Labour held with the narrowest majority in the country at the last election - just 37 votes.

Chris Oxlade is a presenter for local radio station Mercury FM, was born in the area and has lived here all his life. Since June 2009 he's been a county councillor for Bewbush and Ifield and said after last night's meeting, "I look forward to going out and talking to people in Crawley over the coming weeks and listening to their hopes for the future".

There's an interesting account of the meeting by Horsham PPC Andrew Skudder, here. And more here from the Crawley Observer, and Crawley News here.

One of the other contenders, Sonia Sodha certainly seems one to watch for the future, you never know which other Labour MPs might decide they've had enough!

Laura Moffatt says she'll still be campaigning. Let's hope they find some way to properly recycle all those leaflets with her picture on. There's been no further explanation from Laura about her decision to pull out, for the sake of her family. I hear she herself offered one suggestion: that it began to look like she might win after all and that would have spoiled her plans for the future!

The Conservative contender for Crawley Henry Smith says his opponent's departure is still a mystery, and he's laying down the gauntlet to the new man, inviting him to campaign for a new NHS Hospital for Crawley, and sign the Pease Pottage Hospital petition.

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That's the desciption that two distinguished parliamentarians use to describe the result of recent immigration policy.

The Sussex Conservative MP Nicholas Soames and Labour's Frank Field jointly issued what they say is a challenge.

They say that "none of the major parties has a sufficiently firm policy on immigration just days away from a general election campaign".

"As it seems likely that the three main parties will stick their heads in the sand and avoid an explicit commitment to prevent Britain's population from soaring to 70 million in 20 years, we have today set out the kind of measures any future Government will have to introduce if we are to tackle this crucial issue before it is too late."

This is the firmer policy they say they'd like to see.

§ Further steps to clamp down on the abuse of student visas;

§ Suspension of Tier 1 visas which they say allow skilled people to enter Britain without a job to come to;

§ Suspension of the Post Study Route which allows all foreign graduates of British universities to stay on for two years and compete for jobs with British graduates;

§ Raise the points requirement for other economic migrants for as long as unemployment in Britain exceeds one million;

§ Require applicants for visitors visas to provide evidence of health insurance as is required by all other EU member states.

§ Require an oral test of English language skills for economic migrants and spouses, conducted in their countries of origin by skilled Border Agency staff from this country;

§ Affirm that there will be no amnesty for illegal immigrants, as spokesmen for both major parties have indicated; and,

§ Intensify efforts to remove those who have no right to be in Britain.

Will immigration be a major issue at the next election? Should it be?

Michael Howard was accused of "playing the race card" and "dog-whistle politics" when he raised the issue at the last election. Have we moved any further forward?

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In the office right now we're trying to work out the title that we'll use on screen for part of South Today's election coverage. It's a game that's both amusing and tortured.

I started with "Real Life Election" or perhaps "This Is My LIfe"? We always try to get away from too much Westminster spin, and the trick this time is to front up each piece of policy analysis with a real person's story about what's at stake for them - from the street terrorised by ASBO kids to the University Vice Chancellor keen to put up fees.

The next suggestion "The S Factor" works when you use the S on a compass for South. We'll be as locally focused as possible. So "Southern Discomfort", "Mouth of the South", even "South of Westminster" were tossed around this morning.

We also tried "Policy Roadtest" "Tell me Straight" and "Tales of the Unconvinced".

On Twitter (@peter_henley if you tweet) helpful suggestions included "Loony Tunes" "Honest Gov I'm not lying" "A Triumph of hopelessness over lack of expectation".

You can see why this particular task is fun and frustrating at the same time. The Graphic Designer wants an answer soon. Any ideas?

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We had intended to talk about housing in Eastleigh on the Politics Show. Housing and immigration and law and order. All good subjects to test the candidates who included the Lib Dem Home Affairs Spokesman, Chris Huhne.

But we never got beyond housing. Or one house in particular. What was supposed to be an introductory question from me, about the dangers of staying in touch with local issues when you're a politician with a national profile, turned into an extended argument.

The Conservative candidate Maria Hutchings suggested that Chris Huhne really lived in Clapham. He accused of her of being more Essex than Hampshire, adding that the Labour panellist Leo Barraclough was also Johnny-come-lately owing to being the second choice after a defector to his own party.

Phew. That lot took some sorting out. But made for entertaining viewing. (Take a look at the iPlayer if you missed it. (Maria Hutchings' comment that Mr Huhne is a very good constituency MP may be one she wishes wasn't put on the record.)

No doubt we'll get plenty of time to talk all about that other stuff as the campaign progresses. But, to paraphrase the famous line from "Jaws" - I think we're going to need a bigger programme...

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If you're on the campaign trail over the next month, either in the local or general election there are a few simple techniques that can help you win friends and influence voters.

How can you deflect a threatening question? Is Twitter any use? What should you wear to appeal on the doorstep?

Danielle Glavin has been talking to psychologists, social media gurus and even experts in presentation and voice coaching.

So if you, or someone you know, is going door-to-door it would be well worth while getting them to have a look at her reports, below, to ensure they don't make the obvious mistakes.

And it's handy for the rest of us too, knowing the tricks of the trade before the door-bell rings!

EPISODE ONE - Presentation

EPISODE TWO - Media Skills

EPISODE THREE - On the Doorstep

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It doesn't look quite as good in the photo as it tasted. But let me assure you that this bacon sandwich was a very welcome sight after an early start to catch the 7am train up to the Labour Party's London HQ in Victoria Street.

What on earth persuaded Henley to get up at such an ungodly hour?

The Prime Minister asked me to come.

Yup. An invitation from Gordon Brown to meet with him for an hour's off camera briefing is not something to be passed up. So yesterday I found myself along with fifteen or so regional journalists on what was also a test run for the facilities to be used for the morning election press conferences.

More on that at the end. But first let me tell you about the question I asked the PM.
It became clear early in the hour that we'd only get one each, so I was thinking carefully.

I'd be interested to hear your comments, below, on what you would like to ask, but I plumped for some clarification on the budget announcement that a third of civil servants were to be moved out of London and the South East.

The PM thought this unlikely to include Ministers' offices as suggested in some newspapers, though he's still keen on the cabinet meeting in the regions. The PM told me:

"I think you're more likely to see regional cabinet meetings outside London. That's the best way forward. But in this new digital economy there are much easier ways for ministers and officials to work than simply having to meet each day. "

And It seems the heat is off government departments in places like Fareham, where the Office for National Statistics employ 900 people, Gordon Brown suggested that in the current climate it wouldn't make sense to uproot existing departments. In fact successful "campuses" of civil servants in the South East could be expanded, if it led to a reduction in costs.

"There are huge opportunities with the revolutions in technology that we're seeing. We have new ways of making policy using things like virtual forums."

That's a refreshing change from the time when the presumption was against any new public jobs in the South-East of England, even the many places with competitive office and staff costs and a need for redevelopment.

Of course this could all be turned on its head in a new government, and there's still a strong case for investing in the North of England and the nations, but it's a valuable insight into changing government thinking.

So quickly back to the bacon sarnies. They were accompanied by a fine mug of coffee, and a rather too New-Labour fruit on a stick thing (I'd eaten it by the time I thought of taking a picture!).

Some of the hacks with me reckoned they could get a competition going with the Conservatives and Lib Dems as the election campaign unfolded.

But my next stop was unlikely to be part of any bidding war.

This was a launch of The Taxpayers Alliance's new book, pictured left, How to Cut Public Spending, and Still Win The Election. And lavish is not their style - a nice plate of choccie biccies was a reasonable, but not extravagant touch.

But they are big believers in the competitive market. Perhaps we could get this refreshment bidding war going, after all.

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One of those crazy co-incidences happened when we were out with Lib Dem Deputy Leader Vince Cable campaigning in the village of Alresford in Hampshire.

Dropping into local businesses, as you do, we were talking to the local cobbler Bob Barrowman whose splendid portrait is on the right.

And that shiny pair of shoes is the strange co-incidence.

This well-to-do part of Hampshire has been the scene of bitter scraps between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Vince's visit shows it'll be just as hot this time.

After the great man left the shop it was Bob the Cobbler's chance to comment, and the camera rolled. "It's a very well-heeled area" he says. "Take these four pairs of beautiful shoes I've just finished."

"They belong to that Conservative chap, George Hollingbery!"

Turns out that George, the Tory candidate, and Lib Dems bitter rival in Winchester and Meon Valley, is a regular customer.

The Lib Dems faces were a picture when they realised that the brogues they'd been admiring would shortly be turned against them, but they said at least it showed Mr Hollingbery expects to use up some shoe-leather in the contest ahead.

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