Four days on and more and more people have been popping in to our pop-up in Dudley.
What are we learning? That people here have a lot to say and are a bit surprised that anyone wants to listen.
I've heard some interesting things: the lost city in Tipton, some interesting theories as to why the drop-in centre at Russells Hall Hospital has just been moved, and lots about the plans for a new mosque.
Some questions, too: why has the drop-in centre at Russell's Hall Hospital been relocated? Why does the town's Muslim community need a big mosque when there are many smaller ones dotted around?
It's not hard to find people who say they're attracted by UKIP's message, but not sure they'll vote for it. Ian, who dropped by this afternoon, said he agreed with UKIP on immigration, but because the party didn't have the experience Conservatives and Labour had, he'd need to be convinced that Nigel Farage and his party had policies in other areas with which he agreed before he'd commit.
We've heard scathing comments about Ed Miliband, worryingly for his party some are from people who say they usually vote Labour.
That, and the rise of UKIP, perhaps explains why Labour is pouring resources into seats like Dudley North which it held onto in 2010. That, remember, was Labour's second worst general election performance since 1918. It should have been the nadir of their fortunes; but the changing political climate has made Labour folk less confident of that.
Mind you, Chris and Diane, a couple who attended one of the Labour leadership hustings in 2010, are incensed with how Mr Miliband is treated. They blame the hostility of newspapers for his poor public image. Unfortunately for him, they don't live in a super-marginal like Dudley North.
- Published23 March 2015
- Published17 March 2015
