Political Goals & Football Goals

One would of had to have been living in a bubble for the general election to have passed them by. It was all over the television screens, the newspapers, on the radio, the web, everywhere. It seems like yesterday that I was out pounding the streets of Peterborough for Stewart Jackson and the Council candidates. Much like taking examinations, I was left with a feeling of helplessness on the night of May 5th, when the direction of the election campaign was largely taken out of our hands. All one could do was wait and see what happens. Oh the anxiety, oh the joy! 

I began May 6th, polling day, with a taxi journey from Peterborough train station to the home of Stewart Jackson which, I must say was a beautiful place. I was struck by the hospitality of his family while I awaited my lift; a hospitality which I found was repeated by a number of people throughout the day. 

I had been selected amongst others in the gang, to man one of the Campaign Centres, in which the Paston Ward Get Out The Vote (GOTV) operation was based. My job was to input and analyse the turnout of Conservative voters and determine, together with Stewart's sister, where to send teams to knock on the doors of Conservative pledges, who had yet to go out and vote. Sounds exciting doesn't it? The destiny of the Paston Ward Council candidate in particular and of Stewart, partly held in my hands. It was an experience bolstered by an ample supply of tea, pork pies and sandwiches; a food type in which my father often describes as "Gods food". Just to top it off, there was the added blessing of the Paston Ward Council candidate, in whose home I was based, being a fan of cricket, so I was also able to watch England's World Twenty20 match against Pakistan :-) 

When the polls closed that evening, we headed down to the Town Hall to await the results. I spent the first hour sat on a bench on the ground floor, below where the action was taking place, without even a television to let me know what was going on. If anxiety was what I felt on the night of May 5th, just imagine how I must have been feeling now. Luckily, armed with this laptop and my newly acquired dongle, I followed the somewhat stuttered coverage of the Sunderland results (How I wish I had Jack Bauer's PDA, which seems to be free from the endless "buffering" and the little "loading" circles at the centre of the screen) Later, Matthew, the Campaign Manager, was able to obtain balcony passes for a few other members of the conservative campaign team and I, gaining us both an active television set and front row seats to watch the facial expressions of Parliamentary candidates; a rollercoaster of elation at Parliamentary gains and nervousness at holds or losses.

Considering the amount of work we all put into the campaign and the high regard in which I hold Stewart, it goes without saying that I was both relieved and delighted that he was successfully returned to the House of Commons with an increased majority. After a night spent on the sofa at the home of Matthew & Sam, I was also able to experience being a Counting Agent for the local election results the next day. My guy in Paston Ward was also sent to serve in Peterborough Council so a double victory for me. 

I continue to work in Peterborough, helping out with the administration of Stewart's Constituency Office and covering for the Administrative Assistant when she is away. I was recently informed that I will be interning at Stewart's Westminister office from September to Christmas which, I must confess, I cannot wait for. My dreams of a permanent job in Parliament are becoming closer to reality day by day. I have also been contacted by the Policy & Campaigns team at the National Deaf Children's Society. Having experience from different perspectives might give me a key advantage in the field of equalities; something to think about perhaps?. Until then, there is a World Cup to enjoy and I, for one, will be cheering on England tonight. Do us proud boys!     

The Phoney War

The calm before the storm arrived last week, as the urgency which once accompanied our work was temporarily lifted. Yet make no mistake, this will change once the PM signals for the Queen to dissolve Parliament and initiate the General Election timetable. I am looking forward to this with  great anticipation and am eager to get stuck into the kind of work which takes place during this time. I will of course have to be discreet about much of the details but promise to provide some interesting blog reports. 

Preparations for the campaign continue to go well with more of the usual being completed. I am keen to learn more and will accept whatever new challenges come my way. Meanwhile, I hope you don't mind me asking if you ever had a disabled person apply for a job and wondered whether they could manage a simple phone call? Or take the other perspective, have you as a disabled person, wondered whether a barrier such as this or requesting your right to reasonable adjustments would harm your job prospects? This is not to forget the extra anxiety which comes from any legal action the DDA provides for if these rights are not met. This was a step in the right direction, yet we are already disabled enough without it being underlined in a court of law. I know from personal experience this kind of anxiety but it really need not be this way.

According to the UKCAE website (http://www.ukcae.com/), over 20% of the workforce are disabled and with an ageing populalation, this proportion is expected to increase. More needs to be done to alleviate this two-way anxiety. Perhaps then we will see more disabled people off benefits and into employment. Nevertheless I was pleased that I found myself in a position to demonstrate that this was no barrier for me, when Stewart kindly offered me his Blackberry in order to call Matthew. I hope I can continue to show that I have the potential to be a full and contributing member of his staff.   

I am encouraged by the determination of some politicians and of organisations such as UKCAE to address the issue of equality at work and of those in protected groups who persist in the fight for a more inclusive society. Yet a bigger effort is required to empower employers to recruit the disabled at cost and for people like myself to be able to strive for professional success with real confidence and conviction. There are plenty of organisations that supply equipment to the disabled at work, but perhaps there needs to be more financial support for businesses in making those 'reasonable adjustments'. This is just one idea. What do you think needs to be done?       

Westminster Beckons

If last week felt six days long, this one seemed to fly, as if it had been fitted out with hyperspeed engines. Amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy campaign office, survey followed survey and newletter followed newsletter with some other bits and bobs thrown in too. This was a week which went down to the wire. In fact, as I was running alongside the railway tracks on Friday evening, I arrived at the platform just two minutes before the train was due. Phew, made it. Home at last.

I have finished tweaking my CV and my application for the role of Researcher or Parliamentary Assistant has been sent off. I have also written to an old American History tutor who has been involved with political campaigns in the States, about the possibilities of working in U.S politics too. I shall keep you updated on what becomes of that. 

Yet I have enjoyed being in Peterborough and have put a lot of time and energy into Stewart Jackson's campaign. Over sarnies and a plate of chips, kindly offered by the Secretary, I inquired about the possibility of continuing with Stewart after the election. I was pleased to be told that I could intern at his Westminster office in October. Feeling closer to my goal of a permanent job in Parliament, I for one, can't wait :-)

Until then, I have been asked to stay at the Peterborough office where I will carry on being mentored in local politics and build upon my current experience. Part of that will be to develop further my file on procedures, which includes all aspects of working on a campaign and managing a political office. Sets me up nicely for managing a national campaign myself maybe?

Behind the scenes, the clockwork visibly whirs as the Campaign Manager continues to plan. I wonder what next week will bring and the surprises it has in store? Stay tuned to find out.   

Work, Chivalry and Motherly Wisdom - Don't forget the biscuits!

Do you ever get the impression that you've just completed a six day week? This one felt just like that, helped only by the constant supply of shortbread, which the ladies have now discovered are my favourites :-) Yet it's Mothers Day now, the sun has been shining and I have just got back from a lovely meal out with my family. I hope other Mum's out there have had a nice day too.  

Preparations for the election continued where we left off, with most of my week spent inputting postal voters into the system. This is a long and tedious process but the end is in sight. I will probably be cracking on with this when I arrive back in Peterborough tomorrow morning. I did manage to catch a break from this on Thursday and Friday when I was tasked with putting together the two parts of an eight page newsletter, counting them out and then bundling them together with surveys we prepared a few weeks ago. I don't mind this. Part of me rather likes the feeling of tangible work; the texture of the paper in my hands and watching the completed piles of newsletters tower up beside me. As much as I encourage the use of technology, there is something artificial about working with it. Just to prove my point about technology, I used a computer to find some new work opportunities as either a Researcher or a Parliamentary Assistant. Covering letter is done, just tailoring my CV. Wish me luck.   

I was also delighted to find that Stewart Jackson has implemented some of the suggestions in my initial communications plan, such as registering with Twitter. I have yet to convince everyone there of the merits of digital engagement but Stewart seems to like it. I must say I was expecting his tweets to be dry, but was surprised to discover not only an astute politician, but a humorous man who is not afraid to engage in friendly banter with allies and enemies alike. I am now working on a new inclusive communications strategy in the hope it will be just as well received.

On a smaller note, we have had a number of prospective councillors come into the office; presumably to check on the progress of their own local campaigns. One such lady had come in to collect some leaflets we had prepared for her. As she was leaving, she dropped a few on the floor. I instinctively stopped what I was doing to help her pick them up. I was promptly rewarded with a smile and a warm thank you. Chivalry pays! I had also been taken to heart when watching 'Eddie Izzard: Marathon Man' on television. I noticed would be gang members talk about new purposes to life or school children donating part of their pocket money to his Sports Relief fundraiser.

I mention these only because it reminds me of something my mother had told me. That having a conscience is doing the right thing even when no-one is watching. Something to think about perhaps?  

Anyway, thanks for reading. I wish you all a good week. Speak soon! :-)

Toasted Cheese, Tea and Sticky Endings

Before I start, I would like to take a minute to remember those who died and have been displaced from their homes, during that terrible earthquake in Chile. The British Red Cross has launched a Chile Earthquake Appeal and I would encourage everyone to dip into their pockets and make a donation at http://www.redcross.org.uk/news.

If a May 6th election takes place as predicted, it is now 9 weeks until election day and I have just completed my 7th week at Stewart Jackson's Campaign HQ in Peterborough. It appears I was correct in my hypothesis, that the Conservative lead would continue to fall. This includes marginal seats which the Conservatives insisted would carry them to victory. One must begin to ask, what is David Cameron to do now?

The ladies and I managed to work our way through yet another load of literature this week. In previous sessions, we had all been peeling the labels, sticking them on and then stuffing in a prepaid envelope. We have since found it more efficient for the ladies to stuff the envelopes and me to peel and stick on the labels. So the process of peel stick stuff, peel stick stuff, has transformed into peel stick, peel stick, peel stick... I swear I catch myself doing it in my sleep. The monotony was halted briefly on Tuesday when I was invited out for toasted cheese sandwiches by one of the City Councillors and yesterday (Friday), Stewart was kind enough to make me a cup of tea. Very generous of them I thought. :-) So nice to feel that our elected representatives don't view such things as beneath them.

My hard work was rewarded when I was informed that I would be taken off sticking and stuffing next week and to continue my current task of inputting those who said they will be voting by post this year. We would then cross-reference these people with voting intentions and send letters to encourage Conservative leaning constituents to do just that. As I was leaving the office this evening, I was also told my communications plan has been passed on to Stewart. This is fantastic news but nervous times await... Could this be my big break?

Today, my sister has been given the day off work which is wonderful news as it is such a rarity. Both she and my brother in law will be coming over for curry in the evening. I do really enjoy it when the family are all together; they mean so much to me.         

Finally, coming to a blogspot near you, are two articles, one which addresses the Equalities Bill; criticised by Baroness Warsi in the House of Lords last Tuesday and the other, 'Whatever Happened to Leadership?', a discussion centred on climate change.

Watch this space and have a great weekend

Equality, Inclusion and Other Business

Before I begin this week’s blog, I must apologise for not publishing an installment for the past few weeks. Regretfully my trusted laptop for the last year sadly passed away. I have therefore had to wait for my new netbook before resuming my writing. The good news is that I’m back, so without further adieu, let’s begin.

I have been at Stewart Jackson Campaign HQ for six weeks now and I must say that I am really starting to feel at home there. I am grateful for the trust that they have shown in me and only hope that I can continue to serve them after the election. There have been whisperings in back corners that this will be sooner than previously thought. Our economic recovery remains a fragile one and political analysts are raising the spectre of an early election before any public backlash against the government can ensue. Yet the Conservatives, who once commanded a 16 point advantage, have seen their lead drop to just 5 points and I predict that the government will continue to wait and see if this drops any further.

We have continued to reach out to voters with further campaign literature being sent out in the last week – that means plenty of address labels to stick on! I have also, after a long slog, completed inputting the current batch of electoral data.

Finally, I have revised my strategic communications plan, adding further research and some extra ideas, making my graphs look more professional and things like that. I think it’s a lot stronger as a result. Speaking of my communications plan, I published a poll this week which asked

“Should campaign literature be made more inclusive with the use of braille and sign language on political broadcast?”

Go to the link http://polls.linkedin.com/p/78690/jiekb for more information. It would be very insightful to hear your thoughts.

I was rather surprised by the amount of interest that people took in it, with one professional from Connecticut writing in to say that she thought it was an "interesting and important question" and has posted the link to her Twitter page. It just goes to show how significant the issue of equalities is to people at the moment.

As I was saying before, I really appreciate the efforts that Stewart, Matthew and the team have made for me and I am glad that they are pleased with my work. I rather like the idea of being a Communications Assistant/Online Political Analyst after the election. I’ll discuss this further with them nearer the time – they have enough on their plate at the moment than to worry about little old me. I envisage maintaining a newly revamped website, attending Stewart’s engagements, taking photographs and publishing the stories online. I could monitor social networking sites and articles on Stewart in local newspapers, analysing them and writing responses. Perhaps I could do some research on a particular field i.e. the issue of access and equalities in Peterborough? Sounds like an interesting job for me.

I am currently waiting for the England v Ireland rugby match to start. England have yet to lose in this tournament having beaten both Wales and Italy in recent weeks and are on course for a Grand Slam win… One thing is for sure, Ireland will be tough and England, being England, won’t make it easy for themselves or their viewers…

I'm already biting my nails

Meeting Stewart Jackson MP

Things continued to gather pace this week.. made slightly easier by the cups of tea and plate of biscuits which regularly turn up on my desk. I've begun working at Stewart Jackson MPs Campaign Centre five days now rather than the three days I used to. I think the election officially starts in 14 weeks and there is still so much to do. I spent much of my time laying the ground work for what could be a close campaign.. I made ready three boxes of surveys for distribution and have completed the electoral data input that I wanted done this week. Talking of Stewart, I met the man himself today. I shook hands, said 'a pleasure to meet you' and went about my business. A rather pleasant, down to earth man I thought.

So glad its the weekend.. Time to recuperate and catch up on some sleep.. What bliss :-)