I’ve just heard Jo Swinson of the Lib Dems on Newsnight.
She referred to “what I heard on the doorstep“.
Over recent weeks I’ve heard any number of politicians of all persuasions referring to “what we’re hearing on the doorstep“, yet we had no-one from any party whatsoever come around and canvas our opinions/voting intentions during the Euro election campaign. No one I’ve spoken to has had anyone canvas on the doorstep. Canvassing seems to be a thing of the past.
I live in North London. What are experiences from elsewhere in the country? Have politicians actually heard anything on the doorstep or are they making up these conversations simply to back-up their position?
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David Kendal says
Yes, I can say it has happened at least once. I also live in North London, Camden, and we had someone come round canvassing for Labour. He asked if I would be voting for Labour, and I said no, because their stance on Europe was dishonest, trying to appeal to everyone. He then asked if I would vote for Keir Starmer, the local MP, in a general election. And, although I know Starmer does good work in the constituency, I told him I couldn’t vote for a party led by someone as incompetent Corbyn, And he did really say, we’re hearing a lot of that as we go round (but to be fair he didn’t mention the doorstep).
Corbyn’s constituency starts at the end of the road, so I wasn’t surprised by the switch to the Liberal Democrats in this area. You don’t need a weatherman…
Mike_H says
I’ve been at my present address since 2009 and have not seen any canvassers for any political party in that time.
Leaflets etc. on pretty much a weekly basis from Labour (my 3 local councillors are all Labour) and the LibDems (controlling party of our borough council, plus elected mayor).
Nary a peep from the Conservatives (no borough councillors at all, but our MP is a (remainer) Tory and the county council is Tory-controlled).
Nothing ever from the Greens.
Leaflets in the past week from the Brexit Party, UKIP and English Democrats.
mikethep says
Had a couple before the Oz elections (we have a verandah, not a doorstep). One of the pleasures of not being a citizen, therefore not allowed to vote, was that I could send them packing instantly.
pawsforthought says
Nope, no politicians but we have had the Jehovah’s witnesses round twice in the past two months. Wouldn’t like to think about what they’re hearing a lot of on the doorstep.
davebigpicture says
One local Labour rep a year ago, one Tory at the last house so probably about nine years ago. The Greens were out on the seafront before the EU elections a couple of weeks ago.
retropath2 says
The 2 MPs I follow on twitter seem to do a fair bit: Michael Fabricant, who, despite being a hard brexiteer and a a bit of a wanker, is quite a good constituency MP, in the old fashioned way of always pushing Lichfield in parliament and tweets amusingly, even if he will never get my vote.
Jess Phillips who currently represents where I used to work for 30 odd years is a brilliant voice of reason in the otherwise near chaos of Labour, and tweets majestically.
Twang says
Did you see her tweet yesterday? Alistair Campbell turfed out in short order where the man who threatened to kill her and the Holocaust denier she reported are still members after months of suspension.
SteveT says
If she was Labour leader she would have got them in by now. Brilliant and eminently sensible and combative- qualities that elude the Labour leadership.
In answer to original post I have not seen a canvasser in the 15 years I have lived in the house I am currently in.
Uncle Wheaty says
If she was the leader then I would consider Labour.
A grounded and intelligent women who appeals to the majority of normal people.
Vulpes Vulpes says
No European canvassing that I saw, unless you count the trash jammed in my mailbox by UKIP. Sorry to say I didn’t respond to it with a reasoned, calm and sensible discussion of any kind. Recycled, hopefully as bog paper. For the recent local elections, two visits each from the Lib Dems, both of which came while I was out, and from the Tories. Extremely presentable young woman from the Tories, spoke a lot of sense, asked good questions, was never going to get my vote but nonetheless left me questioning my default assumptions about Tories. Lib Dems hereabouts have consistently been hard working local representatives, and they got my vote. No sign of anyone from anywhere else. Labour around here are frog-marched to the stocks when caught, so wasn’t expecting them to show up anyway.
Kaisfatdad says
Campaigners from the different parties give out leaflets at the Metro station at election time and I might have a chat with them while they do so. But the idea of someone knocking on your door to canvas is completely alien to political life in Sweden as far as I know.
Black Celebration says
I think I could have been a good politician but – genuinely – the thought of door knocking, leafleting or walking around with a fucking rosette brings me out in hives. Game of soldiers. Stuff that. For a.
illuminatus says
Is the correct answer. I think you have to be a certain kind of masochist to either relish that, or to be prepared to put yourself through it for what can be a very uncertain life
Twang says
I’ve done leaflets for the LDs and did some canvassing for them last week. A good few people said that they’d never been visited before! I never have been I have to say. The LDs are quite active relatively speaking I think. People were overwhelming nice and appreciated a quick visit, and of course you’re quick to bugger off as they are doubtless busy.
NigelT says
I think you get this sort of thing in marginal seats – in a first past the post system parties concentrate on those where the effort may pay off rather than in a seat where they have no hope. I guess PR changes that, but I didn’t see anyone here in Devon.
Gatz says
Here in Essex they weigh the Tory votes instead of counting them at general elections so there is no need to go one on one. The new Chelmsford MP, since the last one retired, is keen on high street events and maintains a lively social media presence, but the only time I have ever heard of anyone being doorstepped is when Pritti Patel called on friends of mine when doing the rounds in her first campaign in the neighbouring Witham constituency.
salwarpe says
I wonder if she ever dared to canvass my parents? They would have given her short shrift. My Mum once (only) voted for Peter Walker in Worcester, so she usually says to Tory canvassers – “Well , I have voted Conservative in the past, but I won’t be this time” – to wind them up and mess with their stats.
Twang says
My constituency is solid Tory – it used to be Peter Lilley’s – but I suspect the Harpenden little Englander community are off to Brexit and the Tory pollster Ashcroft is predicting it will fall to the LDs next election unless they get their act together. I just listened to the Times podcast and Matthew Parris is confident they won’t make it beyond 2020.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Lilley eh? Has he had his teeth done yet? Poor sod keeps his jaw clamped so hard.
illuminatus says
Nothing round my neck the woods, but Whitby was pretty hard leave in the ref, and the European elections were pretty much the same. But in the wider county I am proud of the fact that 10 years after the BNP won a seat in Yorkshire & Humber, we sent back Magid Magid as an MEP for the Greens. My vote actually counted this time 🙂
The local elections are like tumbleweed for me, though I keep praying to get a visit from the local MP come election time, Robert Goodwill is the almost perfect exemplar of bumptious provincial lobby-fodder Zimmerfleisch promoted way beyond the bounds of his limited competency, having spent time as a junior whip and transport minster. Iy may actually happen now. His majority is around 4000 right now, and the conservative share of the vote in recent times has, I hope, shat him up good an’ proper.
fentonsteve says
Heidi Allen is my MP. I’d gladly welcome her across the threshold.
Moose the Mooche says
“I’m in the area doing some polling”
“What a coincidence!” etc
Colin H says
I mistakenly opened the door to an Ulster Unionist during the recent council elections. ‘No thank you,’ I said, and swiftly closed it. I managed to stop a couple more political hopefuls coming up the drive during the same election and stayed away from the door.
garyt says
Could be worse, it might have been a DUPer!.
The only pol I can remember knocking my door where I live in Belfast was the People Before Profit candidate for the last assembly elections. The rest of the main parties don’t bother; SF & SDLP because they probably wouldn’t get a very good reaction, and DUP/UU because they probably reckon it’s not worth their while as their votes are ‘in the bag’ by default of the demographics.
Colin H says
Indeed. A friend in Portstewart had a DUP oaf on his doorstep recently. My friend, an intelligent chap, started robustly discussing aspects of policy and public interest – to which the halfwit just kept replying ‘I’m only interested in the union’. If it been me, I’d have told him exactly where to shove his union. They have no ideas these people – just po-faced flag-waving tribalism.
Mike_H says
A shame that the term “oaf” has rather fallen into disuse these days. It’s a very fitting word to describe the calibre of many current politicians.
Colin H says
Indeed! 😀
Lando Cakes says
I can confirm that there is quite a lot of it going on still. However, it is essentially done by small bands of volunteers, so not surprising if any one person here hasn’t been canvassed.
Uncle Wheaty says
Nothing here but we are a bit rural with nowhere to park.
David Kendal says
We are often told that Labour has 500,00 members and is the biggest party in Western Europe, and yet it looks that they are hardly doing any canvassing. This is only ever done by a minority in any party, because it does take stamina, thick skin, and a willingness to try to put over the party line when you probably don’t agree with all of it. Even then, their membership doesn’t seem to have much commitment. I wonder if this is part of what some commentators believe to be the real trend at the moment in politics – the floating voter is increasingly become the norm, not the exception.
Twang says
I read that the new Labour members intake are more keen on social media activism than stuffing leaflets and knocking doors. That was in the Labour party newsletter.
Mike_H says
Foolishness.
Interacting only within your own bubble is not going to change anybody’s mind. People who don’t currently favour the Labour party will probably have them blocked on their social media.
thecheshirecat says
I doorstepped for Labour before the last election in a rural part of a safe Tory seat. Not so much unpleasant as just a thoroughly inefficient use of your time. However I retain a certain pride in having got a Labour poster high up a leafy tree in Alderley Edge. And it stayed there for the whole campaign.
But in answer to the OP, ‘What we’re hearing on the doorstep ‘ really means ‘What my own party members are telling me ‘.
Kaisfatdad says
That is a sobering thought, David. Particularly when they are floating over to a party that is 6 weeks old and seems quite proud of having no manifesto.