It’s election week, and all the workers volunteers at LDV towers are heavily involved in the action on the ground.
Not surprisingly many potential contributors are also either shackled to Connect or getting sunburn and blisters while out delivering and canvassing.
So you must excuse the rather thin offerings this week. We will do our best to provide you with some light reading while you are soaking your feet, but can’t guarantee quantity.
On the other hand, if you have something you are dying to say, and you are not needed in the battlefields, now might be a good opportunity for you. See our guidelines for contributors before you send anything in to us.
Good luck to all candidates and activists!
* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Makerfield: we can breathe again.
Brexit has cut trade in almost every sector of the UK economy
In which my great great grandmother's brother stuffs a ptarmigan
Replacement?
Reform inadvertently lose their majority
David Raw
Alex Macfie
Slamdac
Nonconformistradical
Steve Trevethan
38 Comments
Where I live in South Wales there has not been one election leaflet from the LibDems. Labour, Conservative and two from UKIP.
Same here in West London, UKIP, Labour and Conservatives all left leaflets but no sign of Lib Dems. The Conservatives even popped by to say hello.
Mary, thanks for this. I was feeling LDV was dying a bit, but I don’t blame this on the editors, it is up to us to step up and the party leader to set the right direction to get more people joining the party. Plus, as you say, it is election week.
I have had 27 leaflets from the Lib Dems delivered to my flat, but then I do live in Sheffield Hallam.
Sardo, I had a Lib Dem election address in West Lothian.
I have personally delivered thousands of leaflets in the past few weeks, and have folded, bundled, stuffed and distributed many thousands more. And I’m not even a candidate!
No LibDem election leaflets in N Lincolnshire. All the other major parties have sent them out, even the BNP – who advise “kicking the other parties in the ballots” – but no sign of the LibDems. Strange really because they normally have about 15% of the vote in the general election, so they are not without support. Iget the feeling they have just given up.
God Help the Lib Dems! Good-Bye Clegg!
Mary – you can’t really win with this can you? If LDV is replete with goodies we will moan that all the bloggers should be out campaigning. If LDV offers thin gruel in election week we will complain about lack of inspiration. Sorry!
In Gateshead, 7 of the 22 wards are being blitzed by us. 13 of the other 15 wards (all solid Labour) have paper candidates. The final 2 wards are being contested by Liberal candidates (they held one of the wards until the last election) so we don’t fight there because it keeps some Labour activists out of our patch.
This is a deliberate strategy. We are a small party with little money so we can only afford to target seats that we hold, or have a good prospect of winning. My prediction is that we will hold what we have and gain one seat – and that seat where the sitting Labour councillor was a defector from us a few years ago. Now that victory would be sweet. I’m sure that many local party’s are in the same position as we are and that may be why some areas are not seeing much in the way of activity. resources are stretched thinly and have to be used to our advantage.
Good luck Mary.
I have had only two leaflets, one from An independence from Europe party and one from Ukip. It is as though the other parties have given up on the European elections to be held here.
If some people have not had leaflets from the Lib Dems in the Euro campaign, it may not be the fault of the Lib Dems but Royal Mail.
I know for a fact that in the West Midlands, the election address for the excellent Phil Bennion MP was designed and printed weeks ago but distribution is up to the Post Office.
In my area, some of us have had the address but it still has not landed on my doorstep! I have had all the leaflets from Euro-sceptic parties but not the Lib Dems nor Labour nor Greens – strange that from the Royal Mail…
Correction: ” the excellent Phil Bennion MEP “
@ Helen Tedcastle,
It is worrying.
I read yesterday, I can’t remember where, that more the 30% had stated that they didn’t know there was an election! The turnout for the last European elections was low anyway so it is not good for democracy.
@ Helen Tedcastle.
How strange that in the North, we too have only had leaflets from the eurosceptic parties. I could almost become a conspiracy theorist.
@ Helen Tedcastle I don’t think that the Post Office has anything to do with the delivery of election literature. But are you suggesting that the privatised Royal Mail is discriminating against the LibDems? That would seem to be taking LibDem paranoia to a new level.
Nick Collins
” I don’t think that the Post Office has anything to do with the delivery of election literature.” Who delivers the election address then? It’s not paranoia as I’m describing facts. About ten minutes ago, the Lib Dem election address just dropped through the letter box, so it rather proves my point about who is responsible for delivery.
Jayne Mansfield
I agree with you that it is incredible that so many do not know even now about the elections going on – and with the prevalence of more lines of communication than ever before. Indifference and apathy is a real danger to democracy.
@ Helen Tadcastle. Your quote from my comment was rather selective; allow me to complete it for you: ” But are you suggesting that the privatised Royal Mail is discriminating against the LibDems?”
The privatised Royal Mail delivers election communications. Following decisions made by the coalition of which your party is a member, the Post office and the privatised Royal Mail are separate organisations. To use your own words “Its incredible” that, as a supporter of this government, you do not know that: particularly since those decisions were in accord with what, sadly, had been Liberal Democrat policy since the Harrogate Conference the day after Ming Campbell was elected Leader (remind me which year was that?)
And your (not paranoid) point was … ?
Nick Collins
I do know that Royal Mail has been privatised but as the problem of sporadic delivery has been an issue in previous Euro elections aswell, I didn’t feel the need to pursue the ‘privatisation’ argument.
Incidentally, under Tony Blair, Labour wanted to privatise the Post Office. I remember Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair being particularly keen. Mandelson tried several times to do so. As Labour and Tory were very keen to pursue the policy and the Lib Dems were not ideologically opposed, no party can be holier than thou on the issue.
@ Helen Tadcastle
So what, exactly, was your point?
And what is “the issue” with regard to , alleged, “sporadic delivery”? I suggest that you check what it is that the Royal Mail is contracted to do with regard to election communications. I’m guessing that you will probably find that it is to complete delivery by polling day. You say ” … the Lib Dem election address just dropped through the letter box,”. Job done, then.
Thank you for the itrrelevant and unnecessary history lesson.
Nick Collins
No, the lesson is to read the thread more carefully. I was responding to previous comments on election delivery of leaflets – I made a suggestion as to the possible explanation. If you decided to read more into my comment than was there, that really was up to you.
@ Nick Collins.
It was I who jokingly said that I who said that I could almost become a conspiracy theorist. If you want to throw psychiatric terms around, maybe you should throw them in my direction. Better still, don’t demean a serious psychiatric condition , paranoia, by using it as a term of abuse.
@Helen Tadcastle.
I understand perfectly, thank you. You suggested that the absence of LibDem leaflets might be the fault of Royal Mail (which , later, in your comment you referred to as the Post Office as if the two were part of the same organisation which, sadly, they no longer are) rather than the ineffectiveness of LibDem campaigning. Your final sentence:
“I have had all the leaflets from Euro-sceptic parties but not the Lib Dems nor Labour nor Greens – strange that from the Royal Mail…”
seemed to imply a dark suspicion, on your part, that someone in Royal Mail was discriminating in favour of a particular political viewpoint Hence my comment for which i make no apology.
You have since conceded that your original point was nonsense by confessing that you have received LibDem literature via Royal Mail today
@ Jayne Mansfield: I have made no comment on your little joke; neither will I do so now.
“Helen Tedcastle 21st May ’14 – 12:28pm
Indifference and apathy is a real danger to democracy.”
I have found myself reflecting on this recently because for the first time in my adult life, I find I honestly have no Party I can support. I am not indifferent or apathetic and I do feel very strongly that everyone should vote in every Election, big or small since that is the only way we can function effectively as a true democracy. But what to do? I would never vote Tory or kIP, heaven forbid, and I am not convinced by Labour. And since the actions of Lib Dems MPs in government, I can no longer, sadly, vote Lib Dem. It’s a problem facing many otherwise committed voters, I believe.
@ Helen Tedcastle,
The last post has now arrived and still no leaflets. Fortunately I know about the election and I and my husband have already decided who we shall vote for, so a leaflet would be surplus to our requirements.
I am interested in what you have posted because I assumed that the leaflets were always delivered by volunteers. One learns something new every day!
@ Phyllis,
I don’t think that you are alone in your dilemma. The privilege of being born in a country where we have a vote, and knowing that, like yourself, there are certain parties I could not vote for, I have been forced to make a decision, but it has never been so difficult for me.
Jayne Mansfield “I am interested in what you have posted because I assumed that the leaflets were always delivered by volunteers. ”
Yes good point – me too! I’m slightly bewildered now by the talk on here of people walking miles delivering leaflets!
@ Nick Collins – I don’t know why you are persisting with this. My comment was part of a general discussion further up the thread on the lack of leaflets. My suggestion was Royal Mail. I was alluding to the election address which is mainly what people receive and people were commenting that had not received even that.
If you want to believe for your own reasons that it is entirely the fault of the Liberal Democrats that this important address does not always turn up and not that of the Royal Mail, that’s up to you. I doubt you are a supporter anyway.
@ Jayne Mansfield
Yes, the election address is delivered by Royal Mail and mine only arrived today, although I had ones from a variety of Euro-sceptic parties. I’m glad it came because it is really good and shows how active and hard-working, (in terms of helping people), Phil Bennion MEP has been – more so than other MEPs in my region. I mean that sincerely – it’s not simply propaganda on my part!
@ Phyllis
” Yes good point – me too! I’m slightly bewildered now by the talk on here of people walking miles delivering leaflets!”
Okay two points. The first is that each party sends out an election address . This is delivered by the Royal Mail. Secondly, in areas where there are Liberal Democrat activists and an active local party, you will normally receive further leaflets.
In areas where there are council elections, you might even receive two types of leaflets – those for Europe and those for the local council.
Some people have not received any leaflets at all. I hope that clears up the confusion on your part.
Oh I see, thanks Helen Tedcastle. I don’t think we have received any from Lib Dems but definitely at least one from UKIP and Labour and Green Party. Excuse ignorance but how does one recognise whether the material is an election address or a local party leaflet? I don’t pay much attention to any of that stuff usually as I usually know who I am going to vote for.
Phyllis
The election address will be delivered by the Royal Mail and is usually a glossy, full-colour leaflet. it may well be addressed to specific people in the household. A local leaflet is normally black and white, sometimes colour and will contain local issues and usually not addressed.
On your previous comment: ” I have found myself reflecting on this recently because for the first time in my adult life, I find I honestly have no Party I can support.” I appreciate your dilemma but I wonder whether any party is really perfect and as we would want it to be. All parties are just that, broad-churches and alignments and that’s probably true of voters too.
All I can suggest is weighing up the best fit for you, especially as exercising your vote is important to you. I would also consider how hard-working your MEP is – do they get things done, are they advocating the cause of your region in Europe or are they there simply to collect their expenses and spend all of it on campaigning for their own re-election?
@ Helen Tadcastle: “I doubt you are a supporter anyway.” Ooh, ouch! That clinches the argument, does it?
Actually you are right; I am not a LibDem supporter. Like, Phyllis, I now have no party which I can support and, like Jayne Mansfield, I have voted (not LibDem) without much enthusiasm. But I used to be a LibDem member: a very active one.
During that time, among other activities, I delivered large quantities of LibDem literature, distributed even larger quantities to the network of deliverers in my area and, on occasions, assisted with bundling and labelling literature for delivery by Royal Mail (aka the Post Office as it was then). Funnily enough , we never seemed to have any problems with “lack of leaflets” or “sporadic delivery” in my area in those days.
The results will be disastrous. Ukip didn’t stand in my ward and Labour always win nonetheless I voted Lib Dem for all 4 choices as the councillor candidates standing are good candidates who deserve better and are being let down by the Party as there aren’t the funds for a single election communication. This is a disgrace and Nick Clegg must go, it’s time for a vote of no confidence in this leader who is taking the party backwards and backwards until it ceases to exist.
Nick Collins
“we never seemed to have any problems with “lack of leaflets” or “sporadic delivery” in my area in those days.” How many
decades ago was that? In the days of the old Liberal Party?
Do you work for Royal Mail as you seem to be obsessed with my remarks yesterday.
Is the Election Address paid for by each Party or funded by the State?
@ Helen Tadcastle. A somewhat ageist comment, methinks. It was up to about four years ago, actually.
I’m getting bored now and I am about to go away, and be off-line, for a few days. So , if you choose to respond to this, I shall be happy to cede you the last word
Phylis… Each party is allowed delivery of one election address paid for by the respective party. The actual delivery by the Royal Mail is funded by Westminster in General Elections and by the Europe in the case of the European Election.