Do they actually do canvasing anymore ?

No-one has come to my front door to persuade me to vote for them, infact I don't think I have ever met an MP.

Perhaps they come round while I'm at work.

Are we supposed to just vote for them without ever getting the chance to quiz them ?

to be honest i cant see david blunkett knocking on doors for votes in the labour wards i think most of them take our vote for granted:(

Exactly, but they shouldn't realy take us for granted.

Even though I generally would vote Labour, if I didn't like the candidate then I might not vote for him/her.

its strange cos david blunkett seems to be a good person but i dont no if i can bring myself to vote for labour this time at the moment im undecided

I have met loads of MP's.

Helen Jackson, when she was labour MP for the area i then lived in, was brilliant.

She did a monthly (or fortnightly) surgery at Chapel green community centre on a Saturday morning.

Originally posted by nick2
Do they actually do canvasing anymore ?

No-one has come to my front door to persuade me to vote for them, infact I don't think I have ever met an MP.

Perhaps they come round while I'm at work.

Are we supposed to just vote for them without ever getting the chance to quiz them ?

my uncle was mp for hilsbrough for years i met him quite a few times,usually in the irish boozer on trippet lane.

Yes have rubbed shoulders with the 'great unclean' in my time.

Have not seen any politicians this election in the locality. Seems that the ruling party in this area takes our vote for granted and as a result has shipped all the workers to marginals. Completely taking your eye off the ball like this, always seems a foolish move to me.

I had a conference with about 6 other students and Meg Munn at my old school, and Charles Kennedy's coming here to do a talk tonight....there's all these 'special branch' CID people wandering around in Britney style headsets and bouncer suits checking security....just in case anyone spikes his pint ;)

I used to make cuppa's for David Blunkett when he used to hold surgeries at the advice centre (now Derbyshires DIY) on Buchanan Road.

I have met an mp who was the PM at the time. A long story but I was a convener for AEUW TASS/APEX/ASTMMS at the time and she visited a plant I was employed at. I was required to be one of the 'workers' chosen to meet her. Her being of cos Thatcher the Milk Snatcher.

My colour of politics after meeting her........even deeper red.

Just as an aside, I have been on many demos against this and that and my favourite chant was

Maggie Thatcher's got one, Norman Tebbit is one la la la la la, la la la

Originally posted by nick2
Do they actually do canvasing anymore ?

No-one has come to my front door to persuade me to vote for them, infact I don't think I have ever met an MP.

Perhaps they come round while I'm at work.

Are we supposed to just vote for them without ever getting the chance to quiz them ?

Nick2 - Your MP has been Meg Munn since she was first elected to parliament in 2001. During these four years Meg has met numerous constituents, and is a well known and recognised person. To my knowledge Meg has undertaken a lot of roving surgeries, e.g., in Norfolk Park, Arbourthorne & Richmond. But the Heeley constituency also encompasses Beauchief, Greenhill, Lowedges, Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Norton, Norton Lees, Graves Park, Gleadless, Gleadless Valley, Gleadless Common, Heeley, Heeley Green, Meersbrook, Hurlfield, etc. You cannot expect an MP to doorknock on tens of thousands of houses.

But you will often see Meg on a Saturday morning street stall. I have been out and about with Meg today in Norfolk Park, Heeley and Heeley Green. Meg is participating in a hustings meeting on Thursday night - why not go and see the candidates for yourself? I'll PM you.

Yep, I have known my local MP's for years.

One was a child molestor and another robbed the NUS for many £ thousands. Nuff said I think !

When he was MP for Hillsborough I met Martin Flannery on several occasions, and also his successor, Helen Jackson.

I also met Tony Benn, David Blunkett, Clive Betts, Richard Cabourn, and some minor functionary in the Thatcher government who I upset in my first job....

When I was a kid our local MP was Don Concannon who at teh time was Secretary of State (I think) for Northern Ireland. He used to come to local surgeries with seriously well armed minders. Great fun for us kids to watch 'blokes with shooters'.

Whilst not an MP, I met Cherie Blair and had the opportunity to briefly direct her work on polling day in the '87 election. :)

Joe

Never met an MP and never had anyone call canvassing for my vote. Not that it would make much difference, I know who I am voting for anyway. :hihi:

I've met Michael Ancram, Shadow Foreign Minister and Deputy Leader of the Tories. (I was a child at the time, so don't start on me!). He turned up one evening canvassing for the Tories, and I answered the door to him - I think he might have been the candidate himself, but I can't recall. (The constituency was Edinburgh South).

My mother claimed she kept bumping into Labour leader John Smith's wife at the local greengrocer's! (This was years before he became leader).

StarSparkle

Originally posted by foxy027
I used to make cuppa's for David Blunkett when he used to hold surgeries at the advice centre (now Derbyshires DIY) on Buchanan Road.

would he reconise you now?

Originally posted by JoePritchard
When he was MP for Hillsborough I met Martin Flannery on several occasions


my uncle:)

David Blunkett did used to do a lot of canvassing around brightside.
I've met Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Peter Mandleson, two Jags, Margret Becket, Blunkett, Betts, Caborn, Martin Bell, Neil Hamilton and his darling wife, Tony Benn and several others.
I'm met a tory mp and I cannot remember his name, i had been over to the wirral for a bye election just before the 97 election and ended getting a bit ****** with a load of tories who were not to happy with me and my mates attitude to them losing one of the safest tory seats in the country.

Originally posted by carcrash
David Blunkett did used to do a lot of canvassing around brightside.
I've met Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Peter Mandleson, two Jags, Margret Becket, Blunkett, Betts, Caborn, Martin Bell, Neil Hamilton and his darling wife, Tony Benn and several others.
I'm met a tory mp and I cannot remember his name, i had been over to the wirral for a bye election just before the 97 election and ended getting a bit ****** with a load of tories who were not to happy with me and my mates attitude to them losing one of the safest tory seats in the country.

lobbing rotten eggs and screaming abuse doesn't count john

:hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

Originally posted by kirky
my uncle:)

So Jim Flannery is your cousin?

StarSparkle - it's a small world! :)

My initials are MP - anyone want to meet me?
:P

I have met several MP's Meg Munn, John Prescott, Alan Johnson to name a few. :)

I was sitting outside Alfie & Bella's in town the other day, quietly eating my salad. At the next two tables were groups of students from the university and their lecturer. A group of people came strolling up; one of them, obviously somebody else who worked at the university, introduced the party to the lecturer and his students: "this is the Malaysian minister for housing and his wife". So... I didn't get to meet him, but I was pretty damn close.

When I lived in Teddington, I was shown around the houses of parliament by our then MP Toby Jessel. A bigger imbecile I have never encountered. I think Harry Enfield must have based Tory Boy on him, their mannerisms were pretty similar. He was also done for drink driving I think two or three times, back in the days when that was the done thing for MPs.

Originally posted by StarSparkle
So Jim Flannery is your cousin?
and katie

my mums cousins they are..(my 2nd cousins) unfortunatley i wouldn't know them if i saw them.

Originally posted by nobikejohn
I have met several MP's Meg Munn, John Prescott, Alan Johnson to name a few. :)

You've also met Angela Smith to my knowledge - not long to wait now before she's an MP!

And you've also met David Blunkett and Sally Keeble, and Linda McAvan MEP.

Originally posted by nobikejohn
I have met several MP's Meg Munn, John Prescott, Alan Johnson to name a few. :)

Oreinginall posted by redrobbo
You've also met Angela Smith to my knowledge - not long to wait now before she's an MP!

And you've also met David Blunkett and Sally Keeble, and Linda McAvan MEP.


....and now you have met Angela Smith MP!

(and you have also met Caroline Flint MP too).

I can't say I've ever met my MP but I emailed her recently for advise/information. She emailed me back that afternoon my problem sorted. Thats not a bad service.

:bigsmile: Quite right - i have lived up Stannington for 6 years now and this election is the same as last. 4 leaflets through the door but not once has an MP or their party workers visited our doorstep and talked to me about their policies.
No wonder the turn out nationally is about 61%.
When i was a kid i remember them canvassing and on ellection night.
They used to turn up on my mums doorstep just before the polls closed and asked if anyone needed a lift to the voting station !
I heard a rumour that down in London there were several thousand people queing to vote outside polling stations at 10pm who were locked out once the polls closed. :huh:
When will the goverment realise that we are a busy 24 hour society and need more ways to vote than in person.
Last election they trialed e-voting in a few areas of Sheffield. What happend to that this time?
One last rant ! - :rant: The polling station up Stannington used to be at Lomas Hall but this year moved to the smaller public library.
Which bright spark decided to sort the electorate alphabeticaly by road name rather than surname?
There was a long queue outside the library in the rain and wind because eveyone was in the queue for road names A - P whilst R - W was doing nothing.
Idiot organisers. :loopy:
Next time stick to surnames.
And if any MP's or members of political parties are reading this then get off your buts and earn our votes and campaign for e-voting to become a common choice.

Not 1 councillor or MP came around our area to canvass,they seem to think that it is a waste of time as they are going to be elected again so why bother.I just wish they had I would have had some harsh words to say to them all.

I've met John Commons the lib dem MP- Met him on thursday at Marcliffe Polling station

Also Helen Jackson in hillsboro library.

Originally posted by franc1987
I've met John Commons the lib dem MP- Met him on thursday at Marcliffe Polling station

Also Helen Jackson in hillsboro library.

Sorry, neither of these people are MPs. John failed miserably to make a dent in the majority built up when Helen was MP. A majority inherited and defended by her worthy successor Angela.

I am not am MP. Furthermore, I was not a candidate in the general election. This is despite the fact that Look Local, a free newspaper circulating in Hillsborough, twice mistakenly printed my photograph instead of that for the (now defeated) Lib-Dem candidate, John Commons.

I have not defected to the Lib-Dems, and reserve my right to sue the paper for defamation of character, and mental anguish!
I never met the Lib-Dem candidate as it happens, but I have been able to personally congratulate Angela Smith on becoming an MP.

NB. That's Angela Smith, the new Labour MP for Hillsborough -not to be confused with Angela Smith, the Labour & Co-op MP for Basildon!

Although not an MP, I am mates with Rob Cole the Green party candidate for Sheffield Hallam. Lovely Guy

I've met John Redwood several times as he always canvasses in his constituency despite it being pretty much certain he will never lose his seat there. Theresa May also visited my old school when I was there.

I have seen quite a few of them and had a talk with blunkett not long ago,good job he did not know who he was talking to??
Still they all sh*t in the same pot.

Originally posted by royjames
I have seen quite a few of them and had a talk with blunkett not long ago,good job he did not know who he was talking to??
Still they all sh*t in the same pot.

Are all BNP members as uncouth as you royjames? Please remember this is a family forum.

Originally posted by redrobbo
Are all BNP members as uncouth as you royjames? Please remember this is a family forum.

Oh come now stop being so sensitive,after all you are hardly naive now are you?
Nit picking does you no favours.

Am i getting this wrong but i am sure i read that John Commons had got elected as the Hallam MP? I must have read wrongly,

Also when i met Helen Jackson she was an MP!

Originally posted by franc1987
Am i getting this wrong but i am sure i read that John Commons had got elected as the Hallam MP? I must have read wrongly,

Also when i met Helen Jackson she was an MP!

You got it wrong - twice! John Commons was the Lib-Dem candidate in Hillsborough, not Hallam, and he didn't elected.

Angela Smith is the new Labour MP for Hillsborough, and Nick Clegg is the new Lib-Dem MP for Hallam.

I know he was a candidate for Hillsboro which is why i was confused when i thought he had got elected somewhere else!!!

Does Roy Hattersley's (?) mother living at the top of your road count?

As someone who helped Angela throughout her campaign, I can say with all honesty we called on many peoples homes in the Hillsborough constituency and talked to many people.

Unfortunately there are about 45,000 homes in Hillsborough, and 74,000 electors. To talk to all of them is impossible.

I know from conversations I have had with the new MP for Hillsborough she is very keen to make contact with as many of her constituents as possible and intends, like her predecessor, Helen Jackson to make herself as available as possible.

All through the campaign there was a website which kept people informed of what Angela was doing (voteangelasmith.org.uk)along with an email address people could contact her on.

Like most MP’s I’m sure she will have her own website as soon as she can, a place where she can keep the people of Hillsborough up to date on what she is doing for them in Westminster.

Having done plenty of leafleting in the past and knowing how long it takes for those volunteers who care enough to go out and do this, I also know how long it would take for a prospective MP to knock on everyones door and canvass them. We are in the modern age when we can watch and listen and then make our minds up, but if you still want to meet them there is always there monthly surgeries in the area. It wouldn't be very easy to knock on what is effectively a fifth of the houses in the city.
What I do think there should be more of is Public Meetings where all the candidates are there - they'd be much more fun.

I know Angela did at least 4 of these around the city, and would have done more if they could have been arranged.

They can be an excellent way of communicating with candidates and judging their policies.

So I’m sure if people want to organise these hustings candidates will turn up

Just to say welcome to the forum tugman.

Appreciated your first two posts, and echo your sentiments about the enthusiasm of Angela Smith to keep in touch with her constituents. I'm sure she will make a worthy MP.

Originally posted by tugman
I know from conversations I have had with the new MP for Hillsborough she is very keen to make contact with as many of her constituents as possible and intends, like her predecessor, Helen Jackson to make herself as available as possible.


Talking to Angela last saturday, i know she is very keen to keep up the good work of her predecessor Helen Jackson. Hillsborough is very lucky to have Angela as their MP, for she is committed to supporting and representing the area. Angela has told me she wants to forge strong links with the constituency and that includes talking and listening to people in the area.

Originally posted by Travann
What I do think there should be more of is Public Meetings where all the candidates are there - they'd be much more fun.
One thing I learned from the election night coverage is that Jack Straw apparently sets up a soapbox outside his local supermarket once a week, and takes questions, comments and abuse from all comers. He has gone up greatly in my estimation. It would be good if more MPs could do likewise.

If you ever want to meet a real living and breathing Conservative MP then get down to Bakewell market where you have a good chance of meeting Patrick McLaughlin, member for West Derbyshire, ex-miner and a thoroughly decent human being.

Originally posted by GHS1961
If you ever want to meet a real living and breathing Conservative MP then get down to Bakewell market where you have a good chance of meeting Patrick McLaughlin, member for West Derbyshire, ex-miner and a thoroughly decent human being.
Didn't that once used to be Matthew Paris's seat? What is it about West Derbyshire and decent Tories?

Yes, Parris was the previous MP and still keeps a house in the area - you will spot him drinking in the Lathkil at Over Haddon during the summer.

Originally posted by GHS1961
Yes, Parris was the previous MP and still keeps a house in the area - you will spot him drinking in the Lathkil at Over Haddon during the summer.
I may just do that :) I've never met him but he's always struck me as a very decent and honest type, one of the main reasons why he stopped being an MP I gather. His cousin used to be my lodger, and his dad (Matthew's uncle) lent me a copy of Matthew's autobiography, which I was very impressed with.

Originally posted by nobikejohn
Talking to Angela last saturday, i know she is very keen to keep up the good work of her predecessor Helen Jackson. Hillsborough is very lucky to have Angela as their MP, for she is committed to supporting and representing the area. Angela has told me she wants to forge strong links with the constituency and that includes talking and listening to people in the area.
who will be taking over from Angela Smith in her old role? Does anyone know?

Originally posted by bonny
who will be taking over from Angela Smith in her old role? Does anyone know?

Details of cabinet positions will be confirmed at the City Council annual general meeting on Wed 18 May.

However.....due to changes in governent legislation, there will be a new Children's Service in due course. This will replace both Education and the children and family section of Social Services. All councils must make the necessary adjustments within the next few years, and this will, at some point in time, have to be reflected in cabinet portfolios.

Originally posted by redrobbo
Details of cabinet positions will be confirmed at the City Council annual general meeting on Wed 18 May.

However.....due to changes in governent legislation, there will be a new Children's Service in due course. This will replace both Education and the children and family section of Social Services. All councils must make the necessary adjustments within the next few years, and this will, at some point in time, have to be reflected in cabinet portfolios.
Thanks for the info redrobbo, it helped.

I have found out that the new cabinet member for family services (formerly education) is Veronica Hardstaff. Any info appreciated.

Met Richard Allan a couple of times, and spoke at length with him, a few months back, and the new Lib Dem man Nick Clegg more recently.

Spoke with Helen Jackson on Identity Card Bill before christmas, but unfortunatly she knew little about it...shame she voted in it's favour really.

Met and debated Des Browne, who is a very hard man to debate!

Met and lobbied Meg Munn.

Originally posted by bonny
Thanks for the info redrobbo, it helped.

I have found out that the new cabinet member for family services (formerly education) is Veronica Hardstaff. Any info appreciated.

Veronica is a lovely lady - really nice and very helpful.

She's a councillor for Walkley Ward, and was formerly a Member of the European Parliament.

StarSparkle

Originally posted by StarSparkle
Veronica is a lovely lady - really nice and very helpful.

She's a councillor for Walkley Ward, and was formerly a Member of the European Parliament.

StarSparkle

Do you know anything about her politics? Her aims? Is she open minded? etc........

Originally posted by bonny
Do you know anything about her politics? Her aims? Is she open minded? etc........

She's essentially Blairite Labour.

StarSparkle

Originally posted by StarSparkle
She's essentially Blairite Labour.

StarSparkle

She's essentially a hard working, generous local ward councillor. Now she's been promoted to the cabinet she'll be able to bring her years of experience to benefit the whole of Sheffield.

I also think Veronica would be deeply upset to be described as a blairite.

Originally posted by max
She's essentially a hard working, generous local ward councillor. Now she's been promoted to the cabinet she'll be able to bring her years of experience to benefit the whole of Sheffield.



Well that seems good enough for me.

Max,

I'd agree with StarSparkle - Veronica is a lovely, hard working woman.

I'd also agree about the position of Veronica's politics - in my direct experience of her in the late 1980s / early 1990s I would have said she was to the right of the local Ward party and essentially 'in tune' with the political outlook that became associated with Tony Blair.

Just my perception - she may have changed in recent years - I've not been in the Labour Party since 1997.

Joe

I saw Veronica myself today after the council annual general meeting, which confirmed her new cabinet responsibility. She was already working hard. But that's Veronica for you - always industrious, and never wastes a minute when there's things to be done.

Originally posted by max
I also think Veronica would be deeply upset to be described as a blairite.

I would be very upset myself if I thought I had upset Veronica. :( From my perspective as a member of the Labour Party in the late 80s, I'd have said her politics were generally to the Right of the Party.

Sincere apologies to Veronica if I'm incorrect :(

StarSparkle

Hubbie phoned me tonight all excited like - he was in an Indian restaurant in deepermost London and in walked that Scottish bloke who won a seat in London (George Galloway)? God i'm not very politically aware am I? Anyway, hubbie was all excited like coz he got chatting to him and he's just got back from defending himself in the states - sure you'll know who I mean now?!