In my area I am collecting a Europe related survey of local businesses.
My survey asks about ways in which being in Europe may affect them. It covers sales to visitors from Europe, customers in Europe and purchase of supplies from Europe. It also asks about employment of Europeans from other members states and regulations – whether they support EU law on health & safety, equal pay, and so. I ask how any of the regulations affecting business can be improved. Finally, I also about general issues affecting local business, such as skills and education of young people and transport problems, which where I live, in Kent, are both massive concerns.
There are three aims of this survey.
REMAIN OR LEAVE
They first is to find out whether local business in leaning towards Remain or Leave.
AFTER THE REFERENDUM: HOW DO WE MAKE EUROPE BETTER?
The second is to find out how we can make being in Europe better. I believe Remain will win the referendum. But I also believe that will not be the end of our work. Europe serves some of its citizens better and more obviously than it serves others. We need to make being IN better for everyone. Keep what is best and fix what is not. Making a better Union must be our task.
BUILDING OUR BIGGER TENT
Thirdly, this survey is a chance to connect and build up rapport and a relationship between Liberal Democrats and local business. Not all of the small business community is staunchly supportive of the Liberal Democrats but more of it should be. I believe that the referendum campaign is a chance to connect with many people who have a lot at stake but whom do not normally consider voting Liberal Democrat or have an ongoing relationship with.
I have deliberately stressed the #INTogether identity over the Liberal Democrat identity in the survey design to promote the most responses and highlight the issue we are focussing on. I have found that is the best way to build rapport with new supporters or potential supporters. Pushing the Liberal Democrat identity more heavily can come later.
Overall, I hope the message this survey conveys to the people who get it is “We care about you and what you have to say.”
I have been collecting my survey on paper. But it is now online.
Please feel free to share it widely. I will summarise the results on Lib Dem Voice and share responses from outside my own area with the appropriate local party.
* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
The Joy of Six 1350
Multicultural working
Street surgeries tonight #dundeewestend
Throwing in the towel
Taking a goat to the library
Steve Trevethan
Geoff Reid
Michael BG
Peter Martin
Peter Davies
4 Comments
‘Survey to get the most responses’ It implies to me that the party has a long way to go to get small business ‘s confidence. Also it is the area that can fear immigration most as it is on the doorstep of Europe.The area needs a lot of concentration on skills, education and transport to negate the fear of being swamped by ‘foriegners’ taking our jobs.
Kent, the garden of England. Does the harvesting of the crops depend heavily on migrant labour? Are, therefore, wages low in a cyclical business? Does this lead to resentment of foriegners for little other employment is available so the natives have to go to London and other areas for jobs. If so skills, education and transport are desperately needed to give the area a new vibrancy for the local people and economy.
Electoral Commission referendum voting guide received today, among the unsolicited business direct mail. Page 4 is Stronger In. Page 5 is vote leave.
Registration deadline is midnight on 7 June 2016 http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
0800 3 280 280. Expect poll cards by 25/5/2016.
A Tory junior minister has been over-ruled by the PM on whether the UK has a veto on Turkey. It does, he said it does and she is wrong. This was backed up independently by Allegra Stratton tweeting during the programme.
Robert Peston, in Peston on Sunday ITV, asked whether she will be sacked. The PM supported the job she is doing in Defence. Esther McVey said she will need to apologise for the error, which other people on the Leave side are saying.
Nigel Farage (Marmite politician) also tweeted.
Every member state of the EU has a veto (also the European Parliament). The PM did not say how that veto vote would be exercised by other countries. (We await the result today of a Presidential election in Austria). DC intends to continue to serve as PM for a full parliament and declined to comment substantively on his succession.
In the 1975 referendum there was a famous photo of “The Euro Pals” Tory, Labour and Liberal for IN, contrasted with Enoch Powell and Tony Benn for OUT. This time Vince Cable, George Osborne and Ed Balls for Remain. Ed Balls said more on Peston on Sunday.