Labour Leadership Conference - Saturday 26th September 2010 Manchester

I took the 7:50am train from Milton Keynes Central just by the skin of my teeth, I couldn't get passed the ticket barrier until I was told by a member of staff that I was using my seat reservation ticket, I did say to her it was very early for me, unfortunately I sat next to a group of Chelsea supporters who were thoroughly unpleasant swearing, and taking the piss out of a respectable middle aged women who sat even nearer to these louts than I was, I was glad to find out later that Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester United divine retribution!
I arrived at Manchester Piccadilly Station at about 9:30am and headed to Whitworth Street to see the Hacienda Apartments to pay homage to the site that was the nightclub of the same name I had met one of the co-owners Tony Wilson two years before his death when he spoke at the Milton Keynes Gallery about his memories of various incidents at the club, I had a walk round and sat in a public garden at Deansgate Locks opposite the apartments to eat my sandwich and then a thought came over me could I dare to dream Obama style that Ed Milliband could win?  after all the papers and media were full of quotes from the major bookmakers saying that large bets were being placed on him to win.
I then hot footed it to the newly revamped Peoples Museum and saw Clem Attlee's pipe and various campaign posters of elections past from of 1945 up to 1997, they had a temporary exhibition on the Labour Party Leadership, I saw Michael Foot's driving licence photographs of Hugh Gaitskell and Harold Wilson , an election leaflet from Harriet Harman's first campaign in 1982 and a Labour Party newsletter with a photograph of a very young looking Gordon Brown in it along with a campaign window sticker from the 2001 General Election.
I then walked round the Manchester Arndale Centre and the Town Hall trying to find  Tony Wilson's Memorial plaque to no avail.
I was approached by a very good looking scouser girl and was asked for directions to St.Annes Square I explained I had no idea where it was when a tramp started giving her directions she did have the good manners to say thank you and then started talking with him!
I then went to look for the Manchester Central venue for the Leadership conference which I read somewhere used to be a train station, I saw lots of Labour MP's including James Purnell and Alun Michael eating a massive ham burger with their suitcases along with other delegates walking to the entrance point.
I chatted to a Police Officer who was very cold and said he would be there all week for the conference and asked who I was supporting and we also discussed the impending cuts.
I started to queue and tripped over John Denham's suitcase (the Labour MP for Southampton Itchen) and got to the airport style arch where a Group 4 security guard swiped my security pass bar code and was allowed through, I turned round to see that my photograph and details was still on his screen.
A elderly delegate started a conversation with me who looking at my pass thought that I was from Scotland for some reason and I chatted to him about the dangers of being a front runner candidate like David Milliband and used the example of what happened to Hillary Clinton when seeking to be the Presidential candidate.
Then came the second security check and I had to put my coat and other belongings in a tray to go through the scan and again walk through another security arch.
As I was approaching the main venue through the covered walkway I spotted Peter Kellner President of You Gov the online polling company I asked him how the polls were going but I don't think he wanted to bother talking to the likes of me!
As I was walking to the main entrance I saw  a battery of photographers behind a barricade they shouted to someone behind me to get out of the way which I thought was rude until I saw that David Milliband and his wife Louise were walking as well towards the venue, the press and TV cameras circled around him and like a scrum followed him up the stairs I waited until the fuss died down and then went inside.
I was just getting my bearings when a very attractive steward asked me if I was looking for the queue to the hall I said I was and she duly pointed me in the right direction, I was standing for a while until we were told to turn around and another entrance in which we had to go through.
Once there we stood around the exhibition hall and stands being set by some exhibitors ready for the main conference week, I was on my feet for over an hour the stewards came down the line asking to see our tickets.
Eventually we were allowed in and I took a middle seat in the front row until a steward asked me to move down to the last seat I'm glad she did as it gave me a good view to the events that later took place.
The Hall started to fill up and the former Cabinet members were starting to come in chatting to each other such as Neil Kinnock, Tessa Jowell, Ben Bradshaw and Margaret Beckett etc, the announcer asked every one to take their seat so proceedings could start but typically various MP's were still standing and chatting to each other!
Eventually everyone started to take their seats, opposite the row I was sitting in two mature ladies took their seats with two young boys I thought I recoginised and the penny dropped they were John and Fraser Gordon and Sarah Brown's sons! they were separated at quite a distance whether this was because of the risk they might fight with each other or chat through the proceedings I don't know, with them was a burly minder who when a camera man started to film them, he shot up from his seat and told them in no certain terms to stop, they did not look impressed.
The music died down from playing the stone roses and then Ray Collins the Labour Party General Secretary came to the podium I hoped then he was going to make the announcement but said you waited all these months for today so you can wait a bit longer! he then made his speech and there then followed a video which concentrated on the Labour Government's past achievements which got a clap when each success was mentioned, along with an interview with each leadership candidate, each candidates supporters when he or she made their appearance got a clap also. Someone behind me said looks like Ed Balls rent a mob are in!
Then Gordon and Sarah Brown came behind the back drop to thunderous appalause, Gordon thanked Harriet Harman and the Labour Party staff and thanked the press for their coverage of his leadership the Fife press that was!
Gordon made mention of his sons and said that when collecting one of them from school he said daddy when I grow up I want to be either a teacher or an astronaut or a dad as you have only every been a dad which got a laugh!
He did say that he took full responsiblity for the election defeat, and said that politicians never muched used the two words Thank you!
Then they both left the stage and went down the aslie and shook hands with members of the audience and  walked past me and left.
Then it was Harriet Harman's turn she said her speech would be short as she only had a few minutes left as Acting Leader of the Labour Party, after which she introduced Ann Black from the National Executive Committee (NEC) to make the announcement Ann started to make a speech and when she said finally I shall make the announcement a great cheer went up!
Then all five candidates walked passed me all with their best poker faces on so that they did not give the game away, as they were told the result before they entered the conference hall.
She then said she would read out the electoral college votes in the different rounds until the candidate with 50% or more of the vote passed the threshold and would be the winner, my maths is crap at the best of times so predicting the winner before the final round was not going to be easy for me so I had to go with the flow.
Round one Diane Abbot was knocked out in round two Andy Burnham was also knocked out in round three Ed Balls was eliminated then it came to the fourth and final round with the two Milliband brothers left in the contest it was so close with each round when the electoral figures which were flashed up on the video screen that I was convinced David Milliband had done it, and then Ann announced by the narrowest of margins that Ed Milliband had done it a loud cheer went up including from me I stood up clapping feeling very emotional and throw a punch in the air and shouted YES!!!!!!!
After what seemed forever the clapping died down and Ed went to the podium to make his first speech as the 20th leader of the Labour Party.
He began by saying how much he loved his brother and respected him even more after the contest he then proceeded to thank each rival in turn and to remind the audience of each of the qualities they brought to the leadership campaign.
He said we lost the General Election and lost it badly and that every hour that he is the Labour Leader he will work at connecting with the people and to persuade them that Labour is the alternative Government in waiting.
He also said how he got it that the public were worried about immigration, jobs and the economy, and at the end said that a new generation has now taken over the leadership of the Labour Party which was exactly what I was thinking and made me very excited that for the first time my leader was the same age as me and now it was my generations turn!
A very impressive first speech!
Then with the speech over he went down from the podium and started going down the alise shaking hands, with a battery of photographers following his every move, so many that you could not see anything over them and he took it all in his stride.
The same as with David Milliband who as he left shook hands with a blind journalist with his lovely Labrador dog who was well behaved through out all the speeches, and said rather acidly we fought a good campaign didn't we.
The other candidates then followed suite but Diane Abbott stood there looking very lost.
As I left the conference hall one attractive lady said to no one in particular ding dong New Labour is dead I hope shes right.
I saw a crowd looking at the screens on the BBC stand who were showing interviews from people such as David Blunkett with their reactions.
I decided to go to the main lobby and get a drink from the cafe you could tell who the David Milliband supporters at the tables were as they looked so glum as if they just came back from a funeral I did not help by having a permanant grin on my face, the queues were long so I decided to leave the confines of the conference and got lost but finally went through the Arndale Centre and wound my way to Manchester Piccadily, luckily with minutes to spare until my train left so did not have long to wait.
Once getting home from Milton Keynes Central at about 7:30pm I switched on BBC News 24 to see what the proceedings looked liked and saw myself in the audience clapping, my second television appearance this year!
I was so shattered but glad I was there to witness the historic moment and to see my generation take the reins of power in the Labour Party.    

Labour Leadership Conference Photographs - Manchester Saturday 26th September 2010

Ed Balls MP Visit to Milton Keynes - Wednesday 8th September 2010

Left to right Cllr Kevin Wilson, Cllr Sue Smith, Ed Balls MP, Cllr Donna Coventry and Brian Barton

Cllr Kevin Wilson rang to ask if I could get to the Netherfield Meeting Place early to help Veronica Belcher set up the room.
The day before I received an Ed Balls mailshot inviting me to attend one of his hustings meeting all of them listed were now out of date apart from surprise, surprise today's event.
I arrived late and noticed the ITV news van parked opposite the meeting place, the film crews were outside waiting along with the photographers from  the MK News and Citizen newspapers, along with Cllrs Sue Smith and Donna Coventry, I had a brief chat with them in between people asking us if this was the venue for the Ed Balls visit.
One lady was concerned that she had not yet recieved her ballot paper I told her to email Labour Party Headquarters which she said she had done so already I told her then to ring them up.
Sue informed me that Ed Balls was walking down the road towards the meeting place with Kevin in his now trade mark leather jacket, we were introduced to Ed who was then asked to conduct interviews while we waited inside.
In the Citizen's Thursday's edition there was a photograph which showed Ed Balls shaking hands with Peter Billups (Party Chair) with a sign above them "No Ball Games allowed in this area" how candidates must hate such things like this happening to them!
Unlike the other leadership hustings which was standing room only, the crowd was sparse.
Ed once inside gave us all a ten minute speech as to why he believed he should be party leader and then asked for any questions.
One lad from Buckingham asked if his reputation as a Gordon Brown henchman was rightly or wrongly justified, Ed replied that he had obviously read to many right wing newspapers and memoirs, the young man retorted I did say rightly or wrongly Ed muttered twice fair point.
Peter Billups suggested that he considers a Pensioners Champion in a future cabinet, which he had not considered before and thought it was a good idea.
One lad from Great Linford was worried that any additional taxes on the bankers could mean that companies would move abroad as indicated by the Chair of HSBC Ed felt that companies will always threaten this and that HSBC has to many outlets in this Country to simply jump ship.
One lady said that her daughter was 20 and was getting the young persons minimum wage rather than the adult rate as she was only weeks away from being 21, Ed felt it was a loop hole that needed to be tackled but any company not paying the correct minimum wage rates was breaking the law.
John Pinkerton Chair of the Peace and Justice Centre asked about his views on the Iraq war and if as Prime Minister he would ever go to war and press the nuclear button.
Ed replied as Prime Minister he could not say he would never press the nuclear button or go to war but war was a last resort.
There was a guy representing the Young Peoples ME Group who asked if he became Labour Leader would he promise to help their cause and take away a briefing note that had been prepared Ed said he would do so and take away the briefing note, he said his wife Yvette Cooper MP (former Minister of Housing) had suffered from ME and could not work for 15 months and had to at first go back to work part time, she is now fully cured and has always maintained that ME is a virus and not as some in the medical profession believe psychosomatic. 
Cllr Kevin Wilson informed Ed of the life expectancy of eight years difference between a boy born in Netherfield and Emerson Valley and what he do to tackle this, he believed in areas like Netherfield being regenerated.
Cllr Steve Coventry asked about social housing and how more needed to be built, Ed agreed and said the last Labour Government did to little to late.
Cllr Hilary Saunders asked if he had pandered to much to the media regarding the Baby P case, he replied no and that he would do the same again and had to act as if he had not done so the media and the public would have been very hostile towards the Labour Government and accused it of not reacting, the OFSTED report was so bad that the cabinet member and Leader of Haringay Council told him that they had no choice but to resign, Social Workers had told him that they had never ever seen the Director of Social Services.
Cllr Saunders also brought up the 10p tax fiasco, Ed said he and Ed Milliband had pleaded with Gordon Brown not to do it but he had ignored them.  
Once the Question and Answer session was over Ed stayed to chat and having photographs taken, once he left I helped to clear up and had to wait for the caretaker as the session ended an hour earlier than booked along with Cllrs Coventry and Smith.
Veronica had to leave early and I was asked if I could bring the box full of cups and refreshments back to the Labour Hall.           

Labour Leadership Campaign - Text Messages

Things are hotting up as regards the Labour Leadership Campaign as well as recieving numerous calls from the Ed Milliband and Andy Burnham Campaigns and mailshots from all candidates apart from Diane Abbott.

I recieved the following text messages which gives you the flavour of how intense it is getting for us Labour Party members to make up our minds to vote for the candidates:

01/09/10 From EdBalls4LDR
"There is an alternative. Ed Balls Q&A @ Netherfield Mtg Place. Farmborough, M.K., MK6 4JB. Wed 8 Sep@ 12 noon. Just turn up & hear why Ed is gaining support."

01/09/10 From Diane Abbott
"Let's leave the Blair/Brown years behind. Watch Channel Four News tonight at 7pm and see why i'm the only real change candidate, Diane http://www.diane4leader.co.uk/ "

02/09/10 From Ed Milliband
"Thanks for indicating you'll support for me in the Labour leadership election. Ballot papers will arrive soon. Please vote for me with your 1st preference. Thanks Ed"

04/09/10
"Hi, it's David Milliband. Thank you for considering voting for me. Voting is now open. For more info on me you can visit http://www.davidmilliband.net/ "

11/09/10 From GMB
"If you have not recieved your GMB magazine and Labour Leadership ballot by Monday please call 0208 971 6933. GMB supports Ed Milliband"

Labour Leadership Ballot - Tuesday 4th September 2010

Just recieved my ballot paper from the Labour Party today and I am about to post my Labour Party ballot form off proud to say I voted as follows Diane Abbott 5 Ed Balls 4 Andy Burnham 2 David Milliband 3 Ed Milliband 1.

I also cast my votes for the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Policy Forum (NPF).

I voted John Prescott for Treasurer.

Labour Party Leadership Election Steps up a Gear - Friday 27th August - Saturday 28th August 2010

Got home from work switched my mobile phone on and recieved the two following text messages:

From Diane Abbott
Dear Party Member, Happy Bank Holiday! Ballots for Leadership drop next week. I hope I can reply on your support. Visit diane4leader.co.uk for more info Diane

Hi it's David Milliband. I'm ready to take the fight to Cameron. Will you vote for me as next Leader? please reply Y, N or D if undecided (s to opt out), Thanks  

Thanks for your response. Would you be willing to consider giving me your 1st or 2nd preference? if so please reply CONSIDER. David.

That was yesterday today (Saturday) I recieved a personalised mailshort from Ed Milliband and Ed Balls and an email off each of them too.

Things are hotting up can't wait for it all to be over its been going on a long time now! 

David Milliband MP visit to Milton Keynes - Thursday 19th August 2010

David Milliband MP being interviewed by the media outside the Woughton Community Council offices on Netherfield

Again I did not have far to go for this visit as David Milliband was to meet staff and Councillors at the Woughton Community Council offices first.

I was introduced to Julie by Kevin Wilson and with help from the office staff cleared out and set up the drop in as I was told that the main meeting room was being used as it turned out the meeting was cancelled so instead we set the meeting room up with teas and coffees and Julie kindly went to get some milk and had obviously done a detour to Subway as she came back with a coffee.

The MKNews photographer and Journalist turned up first followed by a camera man and reporter from BBC Look East Julie asked if I would meet David and introduce him to members of staff and Councillors and if I minded being filmed.

I thought the camera man from the BBC was joking when I stood outside and came up to me and shook my hand and said hello David you are David aren't you so I thought very funny I'll just play along with it and said yes I am so when he asked to store his equipment in the meeting room and kept calling me David I got asked why was he calling me David by a Councillor so I had to explain.

David Milliband turned up and I introduced myself and invited him in to the meeting room and introduced him to members of staff and Councillors, Cllr Donna Coventry informed him that her son had got his place at Manchester University and he gave her a hug, and we then had a question and answer session where some party members also turned up including Brian White, David asked how he was doing.

He also asked how could the Labour Party support Councillors in undertaking their community work and one member replied to get reelected that got a laugh.

Then when that was over Cllr Janet Richardson was asked to lead the walkabout to the Alphabet Park so that David could see the interactive play and exercise equipment supplied by the last Labour Government's Playbuilder funding and then finish up at the Netherfield Meeting Place on Farmborough for a Question and Answer session with party members and supporters, all was going well until the Guardian reporter and photographer started walking in the opposite direction and I informed David they were going the wrong way, however they had other ideas and wanted a photograph with David and Janet away from the crowd so they walked away leaving us to wait, Janet tells me later that she had to be a bit pushy and tell David time was moving on and they needed quickly to walk to the meeting place.

I decided to cut my loses and go and drive there in my car but the parking was terrible so ended up half way down the street parking in a side road leading to some residents garages.

As I was walking down a couple of lads who met their other mates said guess who we just met Ed Milliband priceless!

It was standing room only so I hid away in the kitchen and tried to make myself a cup of tea but there seemed to be no water in the urn until Veronica Belcher said I had to tilt it!

David was being very risky by standing next to a baby in a buggy saying there is a Guardian journalist here and i'm going to say hello to this baby now imagine if the baby cries what will the journalist make of that, but if the baby does not cry then I'll be off the hook (N.B no crying baby David's lucky day.)

Julie came in and asked if I knew how to delete photographs on the digital camera she had been given as the memory card did not have much space on it but it was so bloody complicated I had to give up hate doing that.

Julie also asked which on her list were the best taxi firms to use as she needed to catch the 12:25 train to Northampton for David's next visit, I said not to worry I'd drive her there so I ran down the road chucked the rubbish in the back of my car and drove back to the meeting place to collect her and had to squeeze by a couple of badly parked cars and drove her to Milton Keynes Central.

I got back just as he was wrapping up and Veronica remembered that the donation buckets were in her car and went to get them so I somehow ended up standing next to the door getting quite a bit of loose change fivers and tenners result, Brian White asked me who was attending the other door I said no one its locked!

There was problems with people trying to leave by car as serveral were blocked in with one woman shouting a registration number out as she was blocked and needed to get back to work, even someone living across the road had unneedlessly blocked a car in as well.

Kevin asked me to take the buckets back to the office and he would collect them from me later so I ran straight from the meeting room halfway down the road to my car hoping and praying I didn't get mugged on the way (how differcult would that be to explain and very suspicious to!)

I jumped in my car locked the door and drove to the office parked up and looked around me lept from the car and straight in to my office and waiting for Kevin and never letting the buckets out of my sight, I even rang Kevin to get him to hurry up!

Later in the evening I was having an evening meal with my friend Paula Lewis at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen at the Hub in Central Milton Keynes and my phone rang it was another friend Tahnee Campbell who said she saw me on BBC Look East, I also met Alan Williams outside the same restaurant with his work mates who asked how the visit went.

When I saw the later news edition there was not so much coverage so I missed my scenes and nothing on BBC i player for me to catch up on.

Ed Milliband Visit to Milton Keynes - Monday 16th August 2010

Went straight from work to the Heelands Meeting Place to help set the hall up armed with the Labour Party membership forms given to me by Cllr Kevin Wilson to put out on each chair.

I met Andrew Pakes outside the meeting place along with Pete Marland who turned up by taxi, followed by the caretaker who opened the building up.

We all agreed to put the top table at the rear full length windows rather then the full length windows to the front to avoid any possible onlookers walking by, then we proceeded to get the chairs in a horse shoe formation out along also with Co-op Party membership forms (provided by Pete Marland) to be put out on each chair.

Pete asked me to ensure to direct latecomers to any spare seats at the end of the seating rows so I stood outside holding the door open welcoming every one in to the meeting, it got tricky with people parking along Glovers Lane and the local centre car park once the meeting place small car park was full.

Andrew Pete and Kevin were with me outside when Ed Milliband (open shirted and no tie) and his team arrived he shook us all by the hand, and then asked if there was a spare room he could use to put his tie on, which Andrew then escorted him to the room nearest the main hall, as I was still outside I saw the curtain pulled back where he must of been using the window as a reflection to make sure his tie was straight could of been quite a surreal sight if anyone at the point was walking by.

As I was still welcoming latecomers in and ensuring somehow that they could stand somewhere (as by that time all seats were taken and the room was filled to the max must of been 80 plus there in all) so I did not really have a chance to hear what Ed had to say, and I was constantly looking at the door in case any one else arrived (things got a bit tricky trying to help a lady in with her motorised scooter at one point.)

Ed was asked a range of questions on his bid for the Labour Leadership but one questioner stuck in my mind an 11 year old called Daniel who asked how the environment can be saved without damage to the economy and could he multi task, as an aside to this young Daniel bless him got very nervous at the start and could not get his question out and so Ed asked his name which he did so and he said it was a very good name as that was the name of his son which totally put him at his ease and away he went. 

Ed took questions in blocks of 4 and kept taking more and more questions but his team were giving him looks to say time was up but he said he would carry on even though he would not be very popular with them.

Just before the meeting broke up I was asked to take the bucket and catch people before they were leaving for donations which I quite enjoyed with Ellie's help we raised over £140 (which she was counting on the floor after everyone left) Ed meanwhile was having photograhs taken and chatting with wellwishers.

As he was leaving he asked Andrew if he felt it went well and talked about the battlebus and how it wasn't very comfortable to travel in and his team often drove to meetings instead and were looking forward to get something to eat by now it was 9:30pm.

Once they left we all went out through the back door and through the bins area to the gate whiched opened out to the car park at least I did not have far to go home!

Afterwards my evening got really surreal, got home and there was a mailshot from Ed Milliband's Campaign Team, then switched on my mobile phone and there was a message left asking if I will be supporting Ed Milliband from his campaign's volunteer telephone bank what are the odds of that happening in one evening!

General Election Party - Saturday 15th May 2010

I attended the General Election party held at Cllr Hilary Saunders house in Wolverton Dr Phyllis Starkey and Hugh Starkey along with Andrew Pakes were in attendance with Pete Marland his partner Ellie, Pauliune Wallis and her partner Cllrs Janet Irons Norman and Helen Miles, John Pinkerton, Brian White, Paul Stanyer, Martin Patchey, Nigel and Sue Long, Alan Williams and his partner, Kevin and Pam Wilson were not there as I was told they were visiting their new grand child in Manchester, plus quite a few party members I had not seen before, the weather was very sunny with plenty of food and drink.
I had a nice chat with Phyllis talking about Milton Keynes Council and the new leader of the Council Cllr Cec Tallack she said she had not had much rest as over the weekend as she was clearing out her Westminster Office she also said she had damaged her leg during the campaign and was having xrays and planned to go on holiday to Boston in the USA to see her daughter, I had asked her how she felt about losing but she replied she had thought she may have lost after the boundary changes so it was no great shock but there were times during the campaign that she felt she might of won, Veronica Belcher said she was doing the same clearing out the office at the Labour Hall.
Pete Marland made the comment that was their a seat that I had not stood for election yet good point!
As I was walking in the garden towards the end of the event Phyllis said goodbye and I wondered if I would ever see her again an end of an era after 15 years as a candidate and MP!

Milton Keynes Council Election Results - Thursday 6th May 2010

Milton Keynes Local Election Results – Thursday 6th May 2010

Newport Pagnell North
Brian Barton (Labour) 525
Derek Eastman (Lib Dem) 1,854
Jeannette Green (Conservative) 1,300
Trevor Kirby (UKIP) 213
Turnout was 67.4 per cent

General Election Results

Here are the results for the Milton Keynes South and Milton Keynes North seats in the General Election held on Thursday 6th May 2010:

Milton Keynes South
There was a 6.2% swing from Labour to Conservative

STEWART, Iain Aitken The Conservative Party Candidate 23,034 Elected
STARKEY, Phyllis Margaret The Labour Party Candidate 17,833
JONES, Peter Maxwell Liberal Democrats 9,787
PINTO, Joseph Francis Anthony Philip UK Independence Party (UKIP) 2,074
TAIT, Matthew Robert James British National Party 1,502
DEACON, Katrina Jean The Green Party 774
NTI, Suzanne Maria Christian Peoples Alliance 245
WORTH, Jonathan Paul Nationwide Reform Party 84

Milton Keynes North
There was a 9.2% swing from Labour to Conservative

LANCASTER, John Mark The Conservative Party Candidate 23419 Elected
PAKES, Andrew Elliot The Labour Party Candidate 14458
HOPE, Jill Susan Liberal Democrats 11894
PHILLIPS, Michael Sheridan UK Independence Party (UKIP) 1771
HAMILTON, Richard James Munro British National Party 1154
FRANCIS, Alan Herbert Green Party 733
LENNON, John Francis Christian Peoples Alliance 206
FENSOME, Matthew Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party 157
VYAS, Anant Manishanker Independent 95

General Election Day - Thursday 6th May 2010

The weather was very sunny and warm which was a good omen I noticed in the morning a group of young Liberal Democrats leafleting in my street surprisingly I did not get one as the Vote Labour posters must of given it away although it has not stopped me getting Tory and Lib Dem leaflets in the election campaign perhaps they did not look up far enough to see them in my bedroom window.
I also recieved various text messages from the Labour Party HQ which read as follows:

Message 1:
"Want to know how you can help Labour 2moro? Give us ur details at labour.org.uk now and we'll call u back later today to tell u the best place to go" (Wednesday 5th May 2010)

Message 2:
"This is a word of mouth election. So please talk to everyone you know today. Tell them why you're Labour & why they should vote for us. U can make the difference." (Thursday 6th May 2010)

Here are all my tweets throughout the election night and morning:

God the exit poll has unnerved me can it be even romotely right?

Wow hearing people were queuing up to vote at the polling station including in Milton Keynes

Can my nerves stand waiting for the first results we so need a Labour Governments in these differcult times

Good result in Sunderland very young and attractive new Labour MP too (Bridget Phillipson 26)

Seems there is polling station chaos with voters not being able to vote as they shut at 10:00pm as per the law

In my birth place of Lewisham Nick Robinson says rumour that a polling station stayed open to 10:30pm feel court cases coming on

I agree with David Dimbleby disgrace that huge crowds in places like Leeds could not vote as he said its like a 3rd world Country election

Also I'll back David's campaign for an enquiry and that polling stations should be better prepared and ignored the law and stayed open

Wished I was at the BBC party with the stars one day i'll be on the A List lol

Oh God Esther Rantzen on my TV don't have any thing to throw at it the smug woman

Oh dear think Electoral Officers are gonna get it in the neck no bonuses for them

One polling station sensibly said if the doors aren't shut they will allow voting to continue no consistency according to Nick Robinson

Some voters have staged a sit in at a polling station way to go

Another Labour victory in Washington (UK of course) Barack Obama don't worry keep them coming

Sunderland Central Labour hold and the Tories thought they snatched it ha ha

Good Electoral Commission will be making an enquiry and apologises

Yes we Khan holds Tooting

Gordon Brown had a victory extra 5,000 Majority in Kilcady and Cowdenbeath

David Blunkett claims that the Labour Party has lost the General Election

What a tribute to the late Micheal Foot gaining Bleanu Gwent

Ben Bradshaw holds Exeter he attended Milton Keynes Election rally

Shame Phil Sawford did not gain Kettering for the Labour Party

Alistair Darling Holds his seat along with Ed, David Miliband and Peter Hain

Great Labour holds Luton North Kelvin Hopkins came to a campaign meeting in Great Linford and was a good speaker

Looks like Gillan Duffy's vote wasn't needed as Labour has gained Rochdale BigotGate helped lol

Tony Blair's favourite News Interviewer Gloria Di Pero has held Ashfield for Labour

Labour has gained Tony Benn's old seat of Chesterfield our second gain

Congrats To Labour's Gavin Shukler holding Luton South hope it banishes the shame to the party of Margaret Moran

Jackie Smith former Home Secretary loses Redditch to the Tories

Shalik Malik Local Goverment Minister loses in Dewsbury to the Tories

Ed Balls Schools Minister holds Morley and Outwood for Labour no Portillio moment for the Tories

Charles Clarke former Labour Home Secretary loses Norwich South to the Tories bet he blames Gordon Brown

Other Ministers lose their seats Phil Hope (Corby) Bill Rammel (Harlow) Angela Smith (Basildon) Vera Baird (Redcar) and Mike O'Brien

Hazel Blears holds Salford and Eccles for Labour

The count has just begun at Stadium:MK. Turn out for MK North was 65.8% Turn out for MK South was 64.2%

Giesla Stuart holds Birmingham Edgebaston for Labour another Tory miss good news

David Bunkett former Home Secretary holds Sheffield Brightside for Labour

Labour has a lower vote share than Micheal Foot in the 1983 General Election

BBC predict a Hung Parliament Tories 306 Labour 262 and Lib Dems 57

Jim Knight Labour Schools Minister has lost Dorset South to the Tories

Meg Hiller Labour Minister has held her seat in Sheffield Heeley

The cocky smles and characters of Tory Zac Goldsmith's team show you all you need to know why a tory victory is bad for this Country

Caroline Lucas Green candidate has won Brighton Pavillion sad for Labours Nancy Platts

Dr Richard Taylor Independent lose Wyre Forest to the Tories

Thank god Labours Margaret Hodge has beaten BNP's Nick Griffin into 3rd place shows the residents of Barking has sent those thugs packing

Good news Labour's Jon Cruddas retains Dagenham and Rainham

Tony McNulty former Labour Employment Minister loses Harrow East to the Tories

Labour's Gerald Kaufman has been re-elected in Manchester Gorton

Tories have asked for a recount in Labours Glenda Jackson Hampstead seat

Sad to hear that Labour's Dr Phyllis Starkey has lost to the Tory Iain Stewart in Milton Keynes South

Hearing that Andrew Pakes Labour's PPC in MK North has lost to the Tory Mark Lancaster

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell has held the Dulwich seat for Labour

It is confirmed that Labour's PPC Andrew Pakes in MK North has lost to the Tory Mark Lancaster

Labour's Glenda Jackson has held on in Hempstead

Labour's Chris Mole former Transport Manager has lost Ipswich to the Tories

Just want to thank the 525 residents of Newport Pagnall North who had voted for me today

Its a shame that Labour's Dawn Butler lost to the Lib Dems Sarah teather

Sad to hear that Labours Jonathan Shaw has also lost his seat

It would also seem that Milton Keynes was not immune from the polling fiasco Wyvern School polling station in Wolverton and in Newport Pagnall had very long queues and the worry was would everyone get to vote (which I believe they managed too)

Also 200 voters in Newport Pagnall voted in the wrong ward and about 150 voters were contacted to ask to go to the polling station and vote again as the polling station had the wrong voting slips.

About 200 postal votes ended up in Coventry and a Milton Keynes Council employee had to go there and collect them and take them back to Milton Keynes.

I believe the Returning Officer John Moffott is having to write a report to the Electoral Commission to explain what happened.

Well thats my potted history of the General Election and the campaign as it unfolded.

I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have but I will continue blogging but now as the mood takes me on the local politics scene and developments in Milton Keynes it has been a challenge blogging on a regular basis during the campaign but due to work pressures as I say it will not now be on such a regular basis.

Leafleting on Heelands - Wednesday 5th May 2010

Today was leafleting the eve of polls on The Dales section of Heelands, it brought it home to me that the election is finally here after months and months of leafleting, using my annual leave and my weekends, looking forward though to a relaxing weekend and to get my life back, and re-evaluate what I want to achieve out of life, especially that two friends of mine have annouced their engagements it has given me food for thought, I will of course still be involved in the party but need to get a balance anyway I digress.
Again all was quiet until there was two workmen on industrial mowers which were a monster size and looked like something out of Doctor Who racing down the road.
I was also leafleting alongside a PCSO who was leafleting about Bradwell Neighbourhood Police Team public "Have Your Say" meetings (I only know this as I had the same leaflet through my door when I got home.)
It took me the same amout of time to deliver as yesterday, but this included driving time to an address in Arncliffe Drive, Gisburn Close and Bransgill Court why I had those to do I do not know.
When I got home I had my own personalised letter to open and read which I did and at the top of the letter from Andrew Pakes was a series of photographs of past campaigns and the first one was a picture of me with Peter Skinner MEP and Andrew Pakes holding signs saying "Tesco stock the choc" which was a campaign asking Tesco to stock Fair Trade chocolate, in the background you can also see my car it did my ego a world of good.
Postscript - Did not check my emails until late and saw messages from Pete Marland telling me that I had been selected to have a ticket to be an observer for the General Election Count, and to attend a candidates meeting tonight at the Labour Hall at 8:30pm to explain the election organisation for tommorrow but I did not read the email until 9:00pm whoops sorry Pete hope i'm forgiven?
Still must get to bed ready for a really long day tommorrow.

Leafleting Heelands - Tuesday 4th May 2010

Yesterday I got a text message out of the blue from Andrew Pakes asking if I could do some leafleting including the eve of polls on The Dales section on Heelands which I replied I was more than happy to do.
Andrew arrived on the doorstep with a cupboard box full of leaflets which included post card sized leaflets of Ross Kemp (former Eastenders actor who played Grant Mitchell and now war Documentary maker on Sky) and Jo Brand (Comedienne) on why people should vote for the Labour Party.
I started to put the leaflets in order as they were a bit jumpled up the next day, it was lovely sunny weather, the area was very quiet, when I turned in to the East Dales there was a large gang of landscapers spraying around the trees killing the weeds as none of them were wearing masks I thought it was safe to walk through them.
It took me about an hour to deliver the personalised mail shots.

Election Meeting with Ed Miliband - Friday 30th April 2010

I recieved a phone call a couple of days ago at work from Veronica Belcher inviting me to attend a meeting with Ed Miliband Energy and Climate Change Minister at the National Energy Centre on Davy Avenue, Knowlhill for 3:45pm for a 4:00pm start.
I arranged with my work colleague Tracy Peters to leave the office early I was running late as I had to get the agenda and supporting papers out for the Annual Meeting and had still not finished but I was not worried as these meetings never start on time, as it proved to be.
I managed to find the Centre ok but the parking was dreadful and had to park quite away behind as it turned out behind Veronica's car, it was a showery day but managed to miss it walking to the centre.
I was welcomed in and offered tea or coffee and luckily there was nibbles on various tables as I was very hungray.
It was very crowded and spotted Victoria Whalley with her son and daughter and stood next to her for a chat but was in front of the toilets and had to keep moving out the way.
I also saw Pete Marland, Veronica Belcher, Dr Phyllis Starkey, Andrew Pakes, Brian White (who is Chair of the National Energy Centre), Cllr Janet Richardson, John Pinkerton and various attractive young ladies sporting Labour rosettes.
We were called in and took our seats I sat next to Pete's partner Ellie who had told me she had driven all the way from work in Northampton to attend.
A guy called Brian from the Energy Centre was chairing the event and told us that Ed Miliband was stuck in traffic (it would appear that he was travelling from Oxford after coming from Swindon), and would be quarter of an hour late so Dr Phyllis Starkey and Andrew Pakes were asked to fill in and make a short speech and answer questions from the floor.
The questions were very technical as members of the energy world were also invited to attend and they used a lot of jargon so it went very much over my head.
It what seemed an eternity Ed Milliband eventually arrived (and kissed Phyllis on both cheeks) with Franny Armstrong from a group called the Age of Stupid which I believe is encouraging ministers and members of the public to pledge to cut their carbon emissions on their website by ten per cent she had been following Ed Miliband at the two other meetings and was also asking him questions.
She looked very hippy in appearance and spoke really fast and just plonked herself on the desk feet and all and every now and then butted in with questions to Ed.
There was an awful racket and was informed that that was the roof windows closing as it started raining.
One questioner was from Domino's Pizza and Ed said he was hungray and could to with a pizza and mentioned it again later!
Another questioner was from Buildings Magazine who was seated near to me.
The whole event we were told later was being shown live on the Labour Party and Guardian websites.
I left the building and spoke briefly to Cllr Janet Richardson and went to my car and drove back to the office and finish colating my Annual Meeting papers and finish outstanding bits and pieces as I had booked the next week off for the election campaign.

Using my Postal Vote - Tuesday 27th April 2010

I recieved my postal votes for the Milton Keynes local Council elections and General Election, earlier in the week and got down today to signing and putting my date of birth on the separate form to ensure my vote will not be invalid and put my cross on the voting forms (not sure if it is legal on a blog to say who I voted for as do not want to do a Kathy McCarthy, but I am sure you can guess how I did vote dear Blog reader.)
I walked in lovely sunshine to the post box at the end of my road and it reminded me of walking to the polling station in elections past and I proud to do my duty.

Placing My First Bet on the General Election - Thursday 22nd April 2010

I have always wanted to place a bet on the General Election and this time I was detirminded to do so, as I have never placed a bet before in my life.
In my childhood the local betting shop had blacked out windows with drunk men spilling out and the old fashioned (now) multi coloured fly trap in the door way plus my parents aversion to betting always stopped me betting which is no bad thing I have never even played the fruit machines in pubs, so grateful I have never taken up this vice.
I asked my work colleague Nicky Fulton to help me to the place the bet as I did not have a clue what to do.
So we arranged to go at lunch time to the Corals Betting shop at the Netherfield Local Centre, inside it was quite pleasant full of men filling in their betting slips with a number of TV sets on the wall with various matches and races on, I got myself and wrote out two betting slips with Nicky Fulton coaching me on what to right down, for five pounds each for a win for Dr Phyllis Starkey in Milton Keynes South and Andrew Pakes for Milton Keynes North.
Once I got to the cashier she looked through her screen which also had a screen on the wall in her booth which showed what she was looking through for the betting odds for both constituencies, only Milton Keynes North came up so could only bet on Andrew a guy was impatient with me holding things up so he asked if he could quickly place his bet which I was happy to oblige.
I thought she gave the impression that she could not be bothered to try and get Milton Keynes South up on the screen but later on I was proved wrong.
Nicky rang her partner as he is a Manager for Coral's in Bletchley to find out why I could not bet on Phyllis, he told her that due to the tightening of the polls all bets were off until Coral's could decide what odds to put on.
Still glad to have got round to placing my first bet in this General Election.

GB On The Road - Milton Keynes

The Labour Campaign at the Netherfield Shops - Tuesday 20th April 2010

As I got out of my car at the car park at the Netherfield shops outside of my office I bumped in to Veronica and Theresa with their Vote Labour rosettes on giving out leaflets and offering voters the chance to meet the candidate Dr Phyllis Starkey for Milton Keynes South.
I had a brief chat with Veronica aware not to delay her for long as she had a job to do Phyllis must have been further down the shopping parade as I could not see her.
I got off Theresa a leaflet on pensions and family friendly Labour policies produced by USDAW for Labour and a Dr Phyllis Starkey pledge/contact card very professional!
Veronica had also invited me to a curry evening.
Later as I left the office I saw them again as they were in the tent put up by Woughton Community Council for the doggy pitstop in the shopping parade with various water bowls left out ready for some furry customers but none were about.
Just as I was about to leave the office Cllr Kevin Wilson turned up collecting leaflets left earlier by Steve Coventry, he said he was going to hang around outside to see if any one will turn up to help him leaflet on Netherfield but sadly no one did turn up.
I eventually got home and got a phone call it was Veronica the start time had changed to 8:00pm to accomodate Cllr Kevin Wilson , Cllr Nigel Long pulled out due to exhaustion and I could either go to her house and walk to the Curry House at the local centre on Emerson Valley or meet them all there.
I felt so guilty not turning up but like Nigel I was just so, so tired so just stayed at home sorry Veronica hope I am forgiven?

Website Training at Kevin Wilson's House - Sunday 18th April 2010

Recieved a text message from Andrew Pakes in the morning to say he was at the Suffolk Punch pub car park on Heelands to meet up to go leafleting from 10:30am I got the message too late as I was clearing three smashed Budweisher bottles on the pavement and on the road around my and my neighbours cars, I managed to fill a whole Sainsbury's bag up with the broken glass and made a neighbour jump as she was cutting her lawn telling her to be careful when driving away.
Had a phone call from Cllr Kevin Wilson to arrange training to update the Milton Keynes Labour Party website.
I got to his house on Coffee Hall at 7:30pm he had Sky News on in his living room which had a rolling update on the polls which is very good but sadly I can't get Sky so BBC News 24 will have to do.
He perched his lap top to one side as he navigated the back office of the site with me trying to follow as I held the printed notes up so that he could refer too them.
I was also shown an excellent website that tracked all the polls with rolling commentary and was continuely updated after refreshing the page on a regular basis.
As I left Kevin said I was offically the Milton Keynes Labour Party IT person what a responsiblity!

GB on the Road Tour - Saturday 17th April 2010

Got home very late at night on the morning of the Saturday after being out with friends, and saw the answer phone red light flashing, the message was from Oliver at the Labour Party inviting me to attend the visit by the Prime Minister on Saturday at 1:00pm for a 2:00pm start and the event would last for an hour and to ring him back if I was interested and he would give me the location.
I got up at 8:00am and rang him back but there was only a voice mail so left a message to say yes I would be very much interested and gave him my mobile number.
I went to the Centre MK to get some photographs developed and the mobile rang it was Oliver had to go outside as the signal was very weak, he gave me the location and asked me my date of birth email address and said I must bring a photo ID with me.
I got to the Open University early the press had arrived and party workers were milling about along with serveral Police Officers.
Out on the grassed area outside the Berrill Theatre were some party members that I knew and had a chat in lovely sunny and hot weather.
A nice lady party worker with a Americian accent came up to me and we chatted she said last night was the first since the start of the General Election she had slept in her own bed it would appear that she runs her own business and was asked by the party to come back and work with them through out the campaign, she knew Andrew Pakes and said her husband knew him when he was President of the NUS, security moved us on to another patch of grass just as the Prime Ministeral Jag and two Range Rovers appeared and swooshed passed us, I got my camera out and with out thinking I steped off the kerb and was told to step back I said I had better not upset security, I was distracted so never caught the PM on camera.
We were then allowed in and I talked to a few party members I knew before we could register.
Former MP Brian White was there Paul Stanyer Victoria Whalley Jan Lloyd Janet Irons Hillary Saunders Kevin and Pam Wilson Martin Petchey Dr Phyllis Starkey Andrew Pakes and Pete Marland.
When I registed and gave my name Helen Naylor Development Officer at the Labour Party introduced herself as she had emailed me with the details of todays event and said it was nice to meet me she also asked for my photo Id so I produced my driving license!
Just as I was going to go in to the Theatre I noticed Gordon Brown walking down the stairs and so missed a good opportunity to take a better photograph of him.
I sat well to the rear of the theatre behind reserved seats for party workers and the media.
Over the stage was a screen with GB on the Road on it.
Gordon Brown was introduced by a newscaster I regonised but could not remember his name and looked very relaxed cracked a few funny gags and walked up and down the stage as he spoke, he was launching the Forces Manifesto and as he was going through various conflicts through out the world there were slides on the big screen, all was going well until the last slide did not work when he spoke about the religions common themes, so he read them on the auto cue.
There then followed a Question and Answer session and very high tech questions were displayed on the screen from Twitter followers.
David Milliband MP Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Bob Ainsworth MP Defence Secretary arrived late as they got stuck in traffic on the M1, other ministers in attendance were Douglas Alexander MP Secretary of State for International Development and Glenys Kinnock Minister in the House of Lords for Africa.
The whole session lasted for an hour and a half, the Prime Minister left the stage and shook a few hands in the audience.
One party member was upset that there was someone behind her tapping away on a laptop I tried to explain that he probably had a deadline on his article to send to his editor and that these events are not for us party members but the media the poor chap like me looked very embarrassed as he walked passed, another member wanted to ask the PM questions on domestic issues but again I had to explain that todays election grid was all about international affairs and not just a party event.
Rob Middleton in the lobby said to me that I looked very smart as he normally sees me in jeans I said I felt I had to make an effort Pete told me that they both went to another location on what looked like an educational campus and had to ring Kevin to say nobody had appeared to have turned up and was told they were not in the right place.
I also saw Veronica Belcher who informed me that she was Glenys Kinnock's driver for the event, when Glenys came through the lobby door a party member came up to her with a laminated photograph of a tearful Margeret Thatcher leaving Downing Street in her Jaguar and said this is for you and lest we forget she advised she could put it on her fridge door Glenys face did grimace when Mrs Thatcher was mentioned must of brought back bad memories of Neil Kinnock's battles with her and the Labour Party to get it electable.
Pete Marland asked if I could take Pauline Wallis home to Conniburrow which I did we had a nice chat as we left the OU in glourious sunshine.

Leaders Debate - Thursday 15th April 2010

I went to the shops after I left work to buy some nibbles and hunker down for the evening to watch at 8:30pm on ITV 1 the first and historic Leaders Debate hosted by Alistair Stewart.
After sitting through the full 90 minutes I have to say like all the pundits and polls afterwards I felt Nick Clegg had won on presentation David Cameron was very poor.
Speaking to party members afterwards and co-workers they all thought I had good stamina to have sat through it all, some did not watch it at all and others flicked through the other channels and came back to it.
As some one who has sat through to four in the morning watching the Obama - McCain Presidential Debates in November 2009, I was concerned that it would all be a bit flat like those were, especially as all party teams had agreed on 76 rules, but there was none of it lots of interactions and challenging and some cross questioning too.
There is no doubt that this will a set piece event at every general election from now on.

It's Now Official

I recieved an email today from Cllr Kevin Wilson with an attachment of the official list of candidates for the local elections, from Milton Keynes Council it is now official that I am the Labour Party candidate for Newport Pagnall North.
I met the Mayor Cllr Euan Henderson at a function opening a revamped Coffee Hall park who said I notice you are a candidate at Newport Pagnall he told me that he has represented the area for 29 years and is standing down along with his wife the Mayoress Cllr Irene Henderson after 28 years.
I also noticed on the candidates list that my former manager Jeanette Green who had I worked for in 1989 at her company William Green and Partners, is the Conservative's candidate in Newport Pagnall North, would be great if I could get more votes than her even though I get on well with her.

Leafleting on Monkston - Sunday 11th April 2010

First to arrive at Monkston at 10:30am only Andrew Pakes turned up waited a few minutes but in the end it was only us, Pete Marland was catching up on the printing.
A bit cold but dry and sunny weather in the end I was sweating wearing my fleece, we managed to cover a lot of the estate, which is very nice but the roads were never ending and could get quite lost with out a map.
One house had ballons outside with a banner over the letter box so I could not get a leaflet through, indicating some lucky girl's hen party that was about to take place very girly and pink.
As Andrew said it would be interesting to see how the area will age in 20 years time.

Leafleting on Bradville - Saturday 10th April 2010

Arrived at the Labour Hall at 2:00pm and met Andrew and Cllr Martin Petchey in the car park, Rob Middleton arrived after me.
We all drove to the heart of Bradville and this time I paired with Martin.
At one stage he left me to leaflet the close where my Grandparents used to live I hoped for old times sack that I would be able to put a leaflet through the door of their bungalow and sadly for the second time it was not to be last time one of my comrades beat me too it this time the elderly owners were out and were working on their caravan he said he did not want a leaflet it upset me more than usual as I deep down wanted to tell him of my connection with his property all those years a go.
Things got worse a few houses down when putting a leaflet through the door it set the dogs off barking and I heard a voice shout out not another leaflet (I noticed leafleting earlier that a curry house leaflet and the Yellow pages were only half pushed through properties so I felt I was doing their job for them by pushing them through along with my leaflet so I guess residents were getting a bit fed up.)
My mood did not improve somewhat when Andrew saw me and asked if I needed a bath chair and was I all right Rob Middleton said I looked as if I was so exhausted are they trying to say something?
Perhaps I was being over sensitive due to my earlier emotional incident.
Postscript: I was saddened to see on News 24 about the plane crash near the Katyn monument to the slaughter by the former Soviet Union of hundreds of Polish soldiers in the second world war how ironic that this happened on the 70th anniversary the Polish President and his wife the top millatary brass Polish MP's the clergy and the Banking Elite had all died a whole generation of leaders wiped out who were members of Solidarity fighting the communist regime.
It was heartbreaking seeing the scenes of the plane wreckage and mourners outside of the Warsaw Palace and the row of empty chairs at the Russian cereomony.
This was the worse event to happen to Poland since the second world war what a cruel twist of fate.
I texted sisters Magda and Kasia Zamojska who went back to Poland for the Easter holidays saying what terrible news and I was thinking of their Country at this differcult time they both texted me back thanking me for my kind words

Leafleting on Springfield - Saturday 10th April 2010

Arrived at 10:30am in very hot glourious sunshine had a good turnout of helpers too.
I was teamed up with Cllr Jess Holroyd I managed to get in to three out of four block of flats, at the fourth block of flats I pressed the Tradesman enterance and a loud piercing noise which seem to go on for ages and still I could not open the lobby door so I left quickly in case I upset the residents and lose Andrew some votes!
At one street Jess decided to take her coat off and put her leaflets and bag down on some old chairs left outside one of the properties.
A couple of streets later she exclaimed that she had mislaid her handbag and obviously wanted to search for it and could not remember where she had left it I suggested she want back to the street where she put everything on the old dumped chairs, she asked if I could lend her some money all I had was £5 which I gave her as she said she may need it to make a phone call home.
I carried on in her abscence leafleting and met up with her once I finished and was thankful to me for remembering the possible location as the handbag was still there luckily the owner had not gone to the tip in the meantime to get rid of the Chairs.
Once we had finished we met up with the rest of Team Labour and Cllr Hillary Saunders was there as she had turned up later wearing her Labour Rosette something I had not considered doing I went to the shop to buy a bottle of coke and drove home.
I was so exhausted I left as the rest went on to leaflet Downs Barn how do they do it I felt so guilty but they are younger than me!
Once I got home I saw a letter from Milton Keynes Council it was my confirmation that my nomination as a candidate was valid, the proposer was Andrew Pakes and the seconder was his father.

Chasing Channel Four

I had asked Andrew Pakes at yesterdays rally if he wouldn't mind if I gave Kate at Channel 4 his contact details as I felt he could answer her questions better than me, he readily agreed.
I rang Kate during my lunch break she was surprised that I had got back to her so quickly, I said to her that as a humble foot soldier Andrew would have his finger more on the pulse on the election campaign grid, Kate kindly replied that she wanted to concentrate on the foot soldier rather than is always the case the candidates in an election.
I noticed in the afternoon that I had a missed called from Vera Productions I wondered why Kate had called back she had left a message on the voice mail to say to keep in contact and let her know the areas in Milton Keynes the Labour Party will be concentrating on in the future of the campaign, but for the moment the production team will be heading to Yorkshire and possibly coming to Milton Keynes later on.
I recieved another voice mail from a guy called Andrew who said he had spoken to Kate and could I ring him back as he had a few questions to ask me.
After work I drove to the Centre MK and parked up and returned his call and was told he was on the other line then I could see his number on my mobile as a call waiting and tried to answer it but got cut off, I rang back again and was told he was still on the phone so I asked if he could ring me back.
As I was walking inside the shopping centre the phone rang it was Andrew but he was so faint I could not hear him and the phone got cut off, I went in to Boots and the phone went off again it was the same again and the call got cut off.
I went out of Boots and the phone started ringing yet again this time I could hear him I sat down and Andrew said Channel 4 will be broadcasting in Milton Keynes soon and wanted to know what I thought were the issues in Milton Keynes, in no particular order I thought they were the economy, education work life balance all because of the amount of young professionals living in Milton Keynes with young families.
I was asked about Immigration, public transport issues and the car parking problems on the new estates and at Central Milton Keynes and the campaign to have a preservation order on the shopping centre, and the maternity department in special measures at the Milton Keynes General Hospital he said he had also spoken to Cllr Norman Miles and Andrew Pakes and they had covered similar issues.
I must have been on the phone for half an hour and the lady sitting next to her barrow I could see was straining to hear what I was saying.
Andrew thanked me for my time and said he had better let me get on with my shopping.

Kick off with an Election Rally

Yesterday was the Milton Keynes Labour Party General Election rally at the Stadium MK in the Clydesdale Suite with Dr Phyllis Starkey MP, Andrew Pakes PPC for Milton Keynes North and Cllr Norman Miles Leader of the Labour Group on Milton Keynes Council with Cllr Kevin Wilson chairing the proceedings, the guest speaker was the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sports Ben Bradshaw MP for Exeter, kick off was 7:30pm.
Luckily I had to clerk a Community Development Committee meeting with a very short agenda which finished at aroundabout 6:50pm and so hot footed it to pick up Cllr Janet Richardson on Netherfield.
Oh and before I go on earlier in the day I had a phone call from a nice lady called Kate a Researcher from Vera Productions on Channel Four, it would seem she had come across my blog and wanted to know more about the campaigning I am involved in there's me thinking no one read it and was just doing this for a bit of fun don't think i'll ever get to the status of Iain Dale or Will Straw though! but it was nice to be complimented, it would appear that she is going to run a programme on people like me in marginal seats campaigning rather than the candidates during the General Election, she asked me if I would find out the areas the Labour Party will be campaigning in and the level of activity that will be taking place to see if it was worth taking it further, which I agreed I would do and ring her back tommorrow.
Now returning to the Stadium MK Rally we had to go through the Hilton Doubletree Hotel which had recently opened all very plush and with a really deep red carpets and seating but who am I to complain.
Once I got to the the top of the stairs Pete Marland slapped a sticker on me saying "A Future Fair for All Vote Labour 2010" in red of course!
In the conference suite Andrew Pakes must of seen me holding my camera as I was going to take photographs of the event for the Milton Keynes Labour Party Facebook Group page which I administer, he asked if I would be the official photographer for the night and produced a monster camera as I am only used to simple shoot and go digital camera's.
I sat in the front row with Cllr Richardson and Cllr Kevin Wilson sat at the top table waiting for everyone to arrive he noticed the camera and said that I would be needed to take a photograph with the Minister Phyllis, Andrew and Norman Miles separately my heart sank this could be a disaster when Andrew earlier gave me a crash course in using the camera it was fine when I tried on my own I said to Janet sitting next to me how come I cannot see through the view finder she said laughing helps if you take the cap off DOH!
Brian White was with a steward who opened the balcony doors on to the viewing stand looking on to the football pitch and the huge MKDons sign in the background I tried to look confident in front of them all and had to try at different angles to get them all in and get this MK Dons sign in too a nightmare but I got there and everyone seemed quite happy with the results.
I could relax when Andrew said there was no need to take any of the speechs so thankfully I could go back to using my trusty digital camera.
Cllr Kevin Wilson brought the proceedings to order and introduced Cllr Brian White who had to leave shortly to attend a Council Scrutiny meeting, it must of been a bitter sweet moment for the former MP but he made a good point that if Andrew is elected he would be the first MP to have been born and grown up in the area.
Ben Bradshaw MP made a very inspiring speech and answered questions afterwards as he too had to rush off to do some more campaigning.
Both Dr Phyllis Starkey MP and Andrew Pakes made very good rousing speeches all good anti Tory stuff to get the blood pumping.
Poor Cllr Norman Miles needed to remind everyone we also had a Labour Party local Election Manifesto to launch amid the fury of a General Election he said the Manifesto will concentrate on good quality housing tackling anti social behaviour etc.
After the speeches I asked Phyllis if I could have a photograph taken with her as after 13 years taking photographs with her at different functions I had never had my photograph taken with her I also had a photograph taken with Andrew Pakes.
Pete Marland approached me to ask if I would sign Andrew's nomination paper which I duly did.
All in all a great venue a great rally to get us all off on to a flying start and great as well to catch up with some good friends in the Labour family.

Oh My God I spotted A UKIP Poster!

As I was driving home there was a bus that stopped in front of me at the traffic lights in Central Milton Keynes which had a UKIP poster on it, it was stuck on in a haphazard way as it was half stuck over the Scania sign, I can't even remember what the slogan was so can't of been that good.
Had Parliament TV on my laptop, Vera Baird MP for Redcar was speaking on the Equality Bill in the Wash out stage before Parliament is prologued on April 12th she has the most seductive voice but very school marmaish and gives the impression you would not want to cross her, as I went on Members Net where for £9.00p I could have sent out 30 leaflets to be posted to target voters it did not say if they would be local or around the Country, you can choose between various templates depending on the subject you wanted to write about I chose to write about my experiences of the NHS (as the instructions said you must only write about your own experiences.)
You can also upload a photograph of yourself and sign off under your own name and then pay for them, you also get sent a copy of your personalised card as a souvenir.
Unluckily for me I typed everything out and uploaded my photograph and when I clicked on the button to be shown a PDF document of my card my system froze on me which followed by lots of swearing and violence towards my laptop, and had to start all over again when it came to paying for them I put my card number in but did not space the sections of the numbers out and so it refused payment (again lots of swearing) when I went back and made the corrections it worked! so look forward to recieving my finished product in the post.
Useless facts on the General Election for you:
a) All three main party leaders have young children
b) This is the first General Election campaign for all the three main party leaders
c) This is the first General Election where there will be televised debates with the three main party leaders
If I come across any more useless facts I will let you know.
Post script The Guardian Newspaper today has done me proud not only is there eleven pages covering the General Election but an essential pull out guide too also I have a slight nagging toothache which is making me feel grumpy which I keep hoping will go away as i'm scared of dentists and begrudge paying for treatment from my hard earned cash, Denis Healy former Labour Chancellor of the 70's Wilson and Callaghan Government's in his autobiography said his teeth kept playing him up in times of stress and said come the revolution he would advise people to have all their teeth pulled out I now tend to agree with him.

First Day of the General Election 2010

Drove in to work today from the Easter break I hoped to have been out over the weekend leafleting with the Labour Party PPC for Milton Keynes North Andrew Pakes and Team Labour in Bradwell but suffered from a burst mouth ulcer which surprisingly left me so drained I felt like a frail eighty year old so could only rest and watch events nationally on BBC News 24 and read The Guardian and sad I know clips from You Tube of the 1974 General Elections as so many pundits said this General Election will be the closes since that year.
I was working away getting the agenda out of the Community Development Committee checking my emails etc regreting that I had no medium that I could use to hear live when the Prime Minister went to the Palace, one City Councillor came in to the office from leafleting and could not tell me if the election had been called, but another Parish Councillor who rang me without prompting confirmed the starting gun had been fired and the General Election was away, and was asking me constitional questions on if Gordon Brown lost his seat but Labour had won what would happen and who would become Prime Minister.
One work colleague brought in a Labour Newsletter put through her door over the weekend that had a photograph of me in a group shot with Dr Phyllis Starkey MP and said we looked like a funny family as the headline above it was about campaigning for families, I replied that I am part of the Labour family I was quite chuffed that I thought of that.
I drove home in lovely sunshine and once home I watched News 24 to see the Prime Minister driving to the Palace and the Queen being flown from Balmoral and walking across her green back yard to have her audience with Gordon Brown.
Once he got back to Downing Street he spoke with the whole of the Cabinet standing next to him asking for a clear mandate from the British Public.
I quite enjoyed seeing the former Deputy Leader and Prime Minister John Prescott being interviewed energised and going to Carlile in his Battle Bus tommorrow I hope that I have as much energy and passion at 71 as he has, it was sad to hear when he said that it was the last time today that he walked in to Parliament after 40 years as a MP and the first election after fighting ten elections that he would not be coming back to Westminister, he even blandished his very tattered pledge card where he said the Labour Government had delivered on them all and unlike David Cameron's Tories people knew where the party stood and had very clear policies, the interviewer did ask if he will go to the Lords but he did laugh saying that he was unsure but Pauline has made her views known so we shall see.
Same great natural justice when Nick Griffin MEP and leader of the BNP starting to attack Labour when questioned about a former BNP press officer who was trying to get him killed and the screen froze and they had to cut the rest of the interview.
There then followed Jeremy Vine's swingometer which showed the Tories would need a 6.9% swing to even obtain a one seat majority and an analist of all the polls so far in April.
Lastly shots were shown of Gordon Brown returning back to Downing Street after a first full day's campaigning which previously showed him with Sarah Brown on his first train journey meeting train passengers and at a cafeteria where a young man asking if he wanted a job his female counterpart said she could fix him up with one oh dear that gave the comentator a field day about his future career prospects!
I really felt the election had started when I put my vote Labour posters up in my window the only posters in my close and so stands out a mile.
Just waiting now for my vote Andrew Pakes Window and car posters then I will be really fired up.

Leafleting on Heelands

The weather was quite sunny and warm with an occaasional hint of rain which never arrived!
Today I was finishing off the direct mailing from last weekend, it was a tale of two halfs, with one end of Heelands to leaflet and once I finished that I drove to do the other end.
It was quite uneventful apart from making one lady jump as she was putting her pink recycling bag out just as I walked up her driveway I apologised and she was quite ok with it, it does make me laugh not at her discomforture but my lack of being able to scare any one in my other areas of my life perhaps if I could I would not get so much crap off other people.
Nice not to have to travel far today to go leafleting and so my old car had bit of a rest.

Leafleting at Great Linford

Saturday 27th March 2010 - Arrived at the Great Linford Local Centre car park nice to see a good team out and two new team members one from Blakelands and Willen.
Andrew Pakes promoted me to the dizzy heights as the team leader as we split in to two teams of three as he said I was organised enough to have brought my own holdall to put direct mails in and supplied me with a google map.
Andrew laid the piles of direct mails in street order on the tarmac so that I could pick them up and put them in order in to my holdall.
The direct mails were aimed at Labour voters who did not have postal votes.
We then went our separate ways and my team started on a section of 1970's former MKDC housing which was like a warren with a very complicated numbering system I split the round amongst the three of us and could not find a section of house numbers and walked round and round getting frustrated, until a kind postman in his van pulled the window down and asked if he could help me and pointed me in the right direction when I showed him the house numbers I was after.
He informed me that there were a number of properties that were along an alleyway with the front doors very much hidden, as I was delivering I noticed he was starting to follow me as he too was trying to find a property that he had to deliver a parcel to, he told me the number and I was sure it was across the road and was at the end of a terrace as I noticed it when I was previously lost, he did not believe me until a resident opened the door and said she was waiting for a parcel to be delivered and confirmed her door number, he turned round and said you were right, so in the end we both helped each other!
The team sheltered for a while under some streets as it started to rain heavily and indeed it rained on and off for the whole time we were delivering.
I also discovered that two members of the team once went to the same school and lived in the same street in Luton and not spoken to each in over twenty years.
After delivering to a couple of other streets there was a few to deliver in a close which I offered to do and gave a pile of leaflets to the rest of the team for the next couple of streets, I said I would catch up with them once I had finished there.
I did come across one member of the team and so we went together to leaflet another close, a young lad dressed in a suit and using his clip board as an umbrella said there are two guys looking for someone and wondered if it was for me, he then asked if I was knocking on doors selling something I said no I was leafleting for the Labour Party, he replied Fucking hell you probably upset the people I am about to knock on the doors of, I replied that there was no need to react like that and he asked my colleague about who he had spoken to on the doorsteps he clearly did not listen to what I had said to him.
We eventually caught up with other and walked back to the car park in the rain, Andrew told us that David Cameron (leader of the Conservative Party) would have arrived by now at the Milton Keynes Academy and how ironic the rain had started and how the sun shines on Labour.
We all said our good byes and I drove off to go to the Centre MK to go shopping and meet with my friend Paula Lewis.

Visit by John Healy MP Housing Minister on Netherfield

Two days ago I had a telephone call from Veronica Belcher asking to book the Woughton Community Council Meeting Room, I accidently picked up the Ambassador's appointment Diary and said it would be ok, thank god I checked the label in the front of the Diary to realise it was not the Meeting Room Diary, the Meeting Diary itself indicated that the Meeting Room was fully booked for the day she wanted (Thursday 25th March 2010).
I rang Veronica back to apologise as it would have been embarrasing to have double booked for a Question and Answer session with local residents and the Housing Minister John Healy MP.
I made a few other suggestions for other meeting venues, Cllr Kevin Wilson rang me an hour later to ask if I could book either the Netherfield or Coffee Hall Meeting Room, I decided on the Netherfield Meeting Place and emailed over the booking form to Veronica after I had got in contact with Milton Keynes Council.
On the day itself I got a lift from Cllr Janet Richardson and her partner and Linda Carter Chief Executive Officer of Woughton Community Council came along too, once I arrived at the Netherfield Meeting Place I offered to go around and ask guests if they wanted tea or coffee, and put plates of biscuits on each table and glasses of water on the top table, I spoke to a couple of young lads who are volunteers in Phyllis Starkey MP's office.
Cllr Kevin Wilson was filling in as we were waiting for Dr Phyllis Starkey MP and the minister he even resorted to doing a quiz on the history of Netherfield.
When they both arrived John Healy MP announced that he had launched today the second round bid for Council's to build Council houses and reform to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), there then followed a lively question and answer session and as is happens at these events stories of personal housing problems which were heart breaking to hear.
Afterwards I asked Dr Phyllis Starkey MP and John Healy MP for a photograph which took place outside the Meeting Place.
I then walked back to the office in the rain with Cllr Janet Richardson who nearly tripped walking in high heels on a steep pathway and she clung on to me for dear life!

Leafleting at West Bletchley

Got up to a lovely sunny day what a difference from yesterday, as I was driving and about to go through Central Milton Keynes there was a road sign saying the road ahead was closed due to Sports Relief, which was very inconvient, and had to circumvent the shopping centre.

Got to the Barleyhurst estate and leafleted for the first time in living memory with out a coat and worked up quite a sweat, once I finished there I progressed on to the scots estate, in one court I was given a cheery hello from a very good looking girl which perked me up and she happily took my leaflet, in another close instead of the Sunday morning car wash a couple were on a step ladder washing their Caravan! and there was a little girl wrestling with a big broom and was trying to sweep some stones away in her driveway and then sweeping the road bless her.

I had forgotton to bring a sandwich with me and a drink so I walked through an underpass to the Furzton Shopping Centre to buy a sandwich and a coke I felt very light headed and thought I was going to pass out, got to the Londis store but was soaked through, once I left the store I could not find a seat and so ended up leaning on a lamp post back on a street in Bletchley eating my Chicken sandwich and swigging from my coke bottle getting funny looks from people walking by with their dogs.

All in all I did a good days leafleting for a total of four hours and got back to my car exhausted and drove home and managed to be able to drive through Central Milton Keynes this time.

Leafleting on Heelands

Saturday 20th March 2010 - got up later than I wanted and drove to the local centre to get my cornish pasty (my Saturday treat) from Dutsons Bakery, eat it in my car and drove in time to the Suffolk Punch car park to meet up with Andrew Pakes and team Labour, if I was more organised I would of walked from my house never mind.

Team Labour consisted of Andrew Pakes, Rob Middleton, another Rob who is a Councillor from Southwark, we were waiting for yet another Rob a young guy from Willen, who duly turned up in the drizzle which stopped and kept coming back during our time delivering the direct mails.

We decided to split in to a couple of teams and I was paired with Rob from Willen, Andrew informed us before we went that we were delivering direct mails to those who support Labour but never get round to voting!

Chatting to Rob it would appear he is an auditor and travels to Luton and Hemel Hempstead and has just got engaged and bought a new house in Willen through the Labour Governments home ownership scheme a nice lad by oh I feel so old.

After a couple of hours and getting soggy we met up back at the car park, the team decided to go for a drink at the pub but I declined as had to go shopping and get ready to attend the Diversity Ball.

Milton Keynes Labour Party Executive Committee Meeting

Thursday 18th March 2010 - Left the Environment Committee meeting held at the Woughton Community Council office which I was clerking and felt quite tired with a headache and toothache driving in light drizzle to the Labour Hall at New Bradwell to attend the Executive Committee meeting.

It was very well attended and a tight squeeze around the table we covered general election organisation and finances and the local elections including the by election in Stony Stratford.

Discussion also centred on the General Election launch rally including the venue and guest speaker.

A lively meeting good debate in a good atmosphere.

Leafleting on Whaddon Way and Buckingham Road Bletchley

Saturday 13th March 2010 - A lovely sunny day and wearing in my new shoes felt like I was driving a new car in them and was uneasy breaking as it felt so different, I should of worn my trainers as at the end of the session my feet were killing me and develop blisters.
Parked the car at the back of the West Bletchley Town Council offices, the shopping precint seemed to be ungoing a refurbishment with scaffolding and netting everywhere.
A lady at one of the properties I was leafleting said I made her jump as she opened the door to the side of her house I apologised and we had a good laugh about it.
One guy as I was putting a leaflet through his door was walking up the pathway coming back from shopping was talking to me in such a mumble I could not understand what he was saying to me, I just smiled and laughed but he could of being having a go at me but I will never know.
As I was progressing down Whaddon Way an attractive lady was walking her small black dog which in a friendly way jumped up on me for which she told her dog off but I just smiled back at her.
Another couple were laying down concrete for their front pathway, and a couple of other properties were having extensive building work undertaken.
One house had decorated their green wheelie bin with a picture of Scooby Doo which had the same words on them and lots of pictures of cartoon bones all over the bin which I quite liked.
I noticed as I finished leafleting Whaddon Way that a former pub on the corner with Shenley Road had been badly burned down and had hoardings all around it, but what amazed me was a chimney stack still standing among the ruin.
On the Buckingham Road at one of the bus stops was a lady talking aloud to herself, the properties there had quite extensive frontages which took a lot out of me walking up and down them and I broke in to a sweat.
One of the properties I leafleted lived a family my mother had child minded for.
Both streets had some really nice properties on them and a couple were on really big grounds all the times I had driven down these streets over the years by walking them I took a lot more in.
All in all a good mornings work and no mishaps.

Milton Keynes and District Co-Op Party Branch Meeting

I attended on Tuesday 9th March 2010 at 7:30pm, my first meeting of the newly formed Milton Keynes and District Co-Op Party Branch, held at Fulwell Court, St.Legers Drive, Great Linford.
George Conghie, Nigel Long, Pete Marland and his partner Ellie and a chap who is the Manager of the Co-Op store on Fishermead and another chap whose name I did not know were in attendance.
The main topic of conversation was support for the Labour candidates in the General and local Council elections.
A verbal report was given on the regional meeting at Slough Town Hall which concentrated on procedural matters, the local Labour MP Fiona McTaggart made a speech and Officers were also elected, also Trade Unionists and Labour Party members were also in attendance.
There then followed a good natured debate on the motions to be taken forward to the party conference which were as follows:

• To encourage all sponsored Labour Party candidates to include on all publicity materials the fact that they are Labour and Co-operative candidates
• To also encourage more co-operatives to be set up in the social care sector

The one other motion that was not pursued as it was too general and did not link in with the Co-operative movement activities was to condemn rogue traders who rip off the consumer.

The meeting finished at 9:00pm and the lovely Mrs Billups came in to lock up after us.

My Letter To The Milton Keynes Citizen

Dear Editor,
Conservative-controlled Aylesbury Vale District Council spell out in their own policy document why they are proposing extra housing around Aylesbury and at Salden Chase. AVDC state there is already a severe problem in their area with the lack of affordability of housing and average house prices at nine times the average income, that 20% of their population is under 16 and that population's numbers are increasing at more than twice the rate of the rest of Bucks.
It is misleading of local Conservative politicians in Milton Keynes to pretend the need for this extra housing would go away if there was a change in government.
Tory plans to give local councils autonomy in where they build the new housing they need would actually mean that AVDC could double the size of Salden Chase and the residents of West Bletchley and their councillors would have no power to stop them.
Yours etc