Liberal Democrat Voice has learned that the Liberal Democrats are just kicking off plans for a new institution – the first-ever national Community Canvass Week – coming this September 22nd – 30th. The week after our Brighton conference will see MPs, parliamentary candidates and local parties over the country hitting the doorsteps, reminding Britons why calling, listening and responding is a key part of democracy.
Liberal Dempcrat Members of Parliament are being asked to lead the effort in their own constituencies and those near them. As well as simply calling on residents, members and supporters will be encouraged to undertake residents’ surveys and underline the fact that the Lib Dems are the doorstep party. The week will also be used to encourage more people to get into the habit of knocking on doors and talking to people, rather than just delivering leaflets to them.
Hilary Stephenson, the party’s Director of Campaigns and Elections, has agreed to write a piece for Lib Dem Voice explaining why the party is organising this week of action. If you have any questions for her – from whether this will be regular, to how this fits into the true meaning of ‘community politics’ – please leave them in our comments.
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4 Comments
On the face of it the idea of Community Canvass Week sounds like a great idea.
What I would like to know is how it is going to be different from the weekly street surveys many wards and constituencies up and down the country carry out – Watford and Luton are two I know of –
Are we going to use the event to test the support in the country for major Lib Dem themes?
Are we going to run some surveys in the National Press or just rely on the activists ? If the latter is the week after conference the best time to do it?
And can we use the event to test whether the support we gained from Ethnic Minority voters on the back of our stance on the Iraq war is still as strong?
And can we also use it to test whether the lack of Ethnic Minority role models in the Party is losing us support to the Conservatives who are going out of their way to showcase their ethnic minority “stars”
May be you could be part of this ‘ethnic minority stars’ to be paraded by the Liberal Democrats, Rabi.
Let us hope that you will manage to stay awake and not fall asleep.
Yasmin
I was actually thinking of people like Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chair of EMLD Meral Ece, Former MP Parmjit Singh Gill to name but three !!!!
A standardised survey to use across the country would be a really good idea – I hope my former campaigns dept colleagues will produce something.
Re the timing, theres a good chance that week will be the last one before the General Election starts so I would say it was a very good time to do it. A genuine flying start to the campaign.
Ed