Earlier this month, we reported, tongue-in-cheek, on two Wounded Liberal Democrats nursing dog bitten fingers.
We’ve now been contacted with news of two Liberal Democrats who have recently sustained broken bones in the course of campaigning for the party.
We’d like to send these virtual flowers to the two members as well as listing them on this roll of honour.
So, we take our hat off to:
Liz Barrett
Liz broke her wrist while canvassing for Willie Rennie – but was still phone knocking up for him a few days later on polling day.
Poddy Clark
Poddy from Southwark broke her shoulder after a fall out delivering Focus leaflets on Bank Holiday Monday. She is OK and managing really well.
Liz and Poddy, we hope your broken bones will mend quickly and well – and we salute you!
If you know of anyone else who has been wounded while campaigning for the party, and they are happy for their name to be published in that regard, please let us know. This could become a series of posts!
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11 Comments
Robert Johnston – defending a seat (unsuccessfully alas) in Colden Common & Twyford (Winchester) looked at the count as though he’d just gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson after a fall while canvassing.
OK – no one else then? So some more from Winchester: Jackie Porter, broken (?) wrist as a result of fall while canvassing. Jane Rutter, broken ankle while canvassing. Come to think of it, both of them are, and Robert Johnston (above) had been, councillors for the Worthys, so possibly the most dangerous place in the country to be a Liberal Democrat activist?
I remember a time back in the early seventies when my father stood for the council. I was delivering ‘thank you’ leaflets in our village and visited a house just a few doors down from us. In through the garden gate. The front door was open so I put the leaflet on the doormat and turned to leave. Quick as a flash a large alsatian dog jumped at me and bit my backside, leaving a hole in my jeans, with a small lump of flesh removed. I was whisked off to the doctor for a tetanus injection…
I’ve been caught out by two or three stealth dogs (and one stealth cat) over the years. Even veterans with decades of experience still get bitten occasionally. Broken limbs do earn more brownie points however.
I have been delivering leaflets and canvassing since 1974. For the first time last year, whilst delivering leaflets for Vince Cable in my home constituency of Twickenham, I decided to take a short cut stepping over a wall. Not a good idea, I took a tumble and broke my wrist. Fortunately I was back delivering three days later.
Joye broke her leg while collecting nomination signatures in 2011 by slipping on gravel in the front drive of an osteopath’s! I recommend a tool given away by the Royal Mail at party conferences in the past to avoid dog bites while delivering
I was uninjured, but veteran socialist folk singer Roy Bailey’s small dog did bite a hole in the bag I was carrying leaflets in. This was a few years ago.
Joe – Roy Bailey’s dog obviously shared his master’s sense of betrayal at Clegg taking us into coalition with the class enemy!
In the 2005 General Election, my agent Mike broke his ankle the first day of the campaign proper while putting up posterboards – and spent the entire campaign in hospital. The things some people do to avoid the battle! 😉
In 2010 during a local election campaign I lost the end of my finger through a letter box making an unnecessary delivery at 7.00 on polling day which a deliverer had ‘dropped’. Our victorious gain was phoned through to me in hospital that night and I thought I was being kidded. The fingertip was stitched on and ‘held’. The political gain was more ephemeral.
I suffered two bad falls during this current campaign prior to nominations, both of which continue to affect me. One related to a low wall, another to green slime on a wooden ramp. I think it’s called old age!
Tony – you know when your political/ real life balance is up the creek when you no longer worry about the pain of the injury but feel more concerned about the yuk factor for the voter of the blood and gore on the leaflet!
Vast but thankfully non-biting alsatian jumps up and hugs me as I deliver Focus, towering over my 5 foot 6. Voice from indoors (and it was 1995 if I recall correctly) shouts “Down, Major!”