Lib Dems in North Croydon

 Liberal Democrats, Politics  No Responses »
Oct 252012
 
Crodyonweb

On Saturday a group of Lib Dems, including the majority of the current Euro candidates hit the streets in North Croydon in support of Marisha Ray, our newly selected candidate for the upcoming by-election.

It was good to survey the residents to find out what it is they are looking for in their candidate, and I’m sure if the level of activity I saw on Saturday afternoon is maintained Marisha will do well to highlight the issues facing the area.

Speaking in This is Croydon Marisha highlighted concerns over the healthcare in south London. As well as further issues like cutting crime, fairer taxes and creating jobs.

I’m sure Lib Dems from all over London will come to help Marisha in the by-election. I know I for one will be back out there soon!

Team London Campaigns in Wimbledon

 Action Day, Politics  No Responses »
Oct 172012
 
WimblenWeb

Team London events are continuing to grow from week to week. This Saturday saw the latest installment of the Team London show with nearly 30 people traveling to Wimbledon to help the local Lib Dems there.

The event started early Saturday morning with Anthony Fairclough, the organiser cooking croissants for the earlybirds in the group. Then we hit the streets with doorstep surveys which were seeing a great response from residents. Nearly 1000 doors were knocked on, completing the survey in Dundonald before a quick lunch and the team was out in the afternoon. This time on a deliverer recruitment drive where they found 3.75 new deliverers (I still haven’t got to the bottom of the missing .25 person).

The main messages being delivered were for the “20′s plenty” petition in support of 20mph speed limits on residential roads, more on this can be read on the Facebook page.

I look forward to both the next Wimbledon campaigning event (especially if they feed us so well again!) and also the next Team London event, it’s starting to be a good group of people who regularly turn up to the London events.

Image credit: Ewan-M

We’re All Nobel Laureates Now

 Europe, Liberal Democrats, Politics  No Responses »
Oct 122012
 
European Union is awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize

In 1888, at the age of 55 a Swedish man got to glimpse the way the world would remember him. And he did not like it. Imagine the face of the pacifist as he read his own obituary describe him as the “merchant of death”. The newspaper had made a mistake, the man would not die for another 8 years, they had confused him with his brother Ludvig Nobel.

Alfred Nobel died owning 90 factories, and with over 350 international patents to his name., amongst them patents for dynamite and other explosives. The factories he owned made munitions, it was no surprise he was given the epitaph the man who made it possible to kill more people more quickly than ever before. But from reading it, Alfred decided this was not how he wanted to be remembered.

Alfred Nobel’s last will established the five prizes for which he is now more famously remembered in chemistry, physical sciences, physiology or medical sciences, literature and peace. The Peace Prize was to be given to an individual or institute who “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

The Nobel Peace Prize has always been a controversial prize and the latest award to the European Union has definitely raised a few eyebrows. However, the award for the EU celebrates the effort of the past 60 years which have in the words of Guy Verhofstadt (Leader of the Liberal group in the European Parliament) “turned a previously war ridden continent into a peace project”.

In recent times we have seen a return or nationalism and Eurosceptic attitudes. But with wars still storming around the world it is more important than ever that we work together, to create a coherent unified foreign policy to build a future we can continue to celebrate.

East Dulwich Action Day

 Liberal Democrats, Local government, Politics  No Responses »
Sep 302012
 
DulwichWeb

In East Dulwich we have three councillors, James Barber, Rosie Shimell and Jonathan Mitchell. I am always moved by the amount of work that our councillors do in their areas, and this is definitely a ward with three local heroes!

I spent Sunday with Rosie, going around and talking to the ward residents. It was interesting to hear of the issues that were being raised, the majority of people were very happy. And if they had a complaint I was attempting to take information but they would quickly respond, “oh don’t worry, James is already dealing with it!”

It seemed that everywhere I went, every door I knocked on and every person I spoke to knew who their local councillors were. Indeed to the extent that when I approach one man, he asked with a worried look where James was!

The team in East Dulwich are working extremely hard and it is one of the more gratifying moments to go out and speak to people that already know about your councillors, what they represent and are generally with their interactions with their councillors.

All I can really say to the team in East Dulwich is – keep up the good work!

Hornsey Action Day

 Liberal Democrats, Local government, Politics  No Responses »
Sep 292012
 
Hounslow

The Lib Dems in London have started consistently working together in a series of action days with people from all over London converging in one place to go out en masse to spread the Lib Dem message.

This weekend saw the most recent of these action days in Hornsey. Here we were helping Lynne Featherstone MP, and the local councillors Monica Whyte, Robert Gorrie and Errol Reid. I was out for the day with Dawn Barnes, we were surveying the residents on the doorstep, gathering information about anything they wanted to raise with their councillors.

The main two issues in the area I was in were parking and traffic congestion. With parking there is a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), but it only operates for a short period mid morning. However, this often means that people go to the shop, or shop owners park on the residential roads leaving the people who live their unable to park their cars.

The second problem was that of congestion. The roads that we were on are very narrow. Two cars cannot pass each other. But as traffic travels both ways along the roads it can mean that cars end up facing off with each other in the middle of the road. Many of the residents quite sensibly suggested that these roads should be one way.

It was great to be out in an area where Lib Dems are working hard to represent the people that elected them, and it was clear on Saturday that this is the case!

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