If you are hoping to get elected in one of the elections due in May (or, very wisely, are already thinking further ahead), then hopefully you’ve found many of the posts we’ve run over the last few months useful in giving you ideas.
Here’s a quick recap of five of the main posts worth (re)reading over Christmas to look for ideas and tips:
Want to win an election? Not sure how to use the internet?: A beginner’s guide on how to use the internet wisely for electioneering.- How to be a Lib Dem blogger: get our collected series of articles: A collection of the best advice from Liberal Democrat bloggers.
- Eight lessons from the general election campaign for activities outside politics: Although I wrote this piece for a non-political audience, the eight lessons also apply to political campaigning too.
- Learning the lessons of the 2010 general election: And of course, winning elections is not just about the internet – so here is some advice about one of the other key tools, direct mail.
- Thinking of standing for election or re-election next year? The questions you should ask yourself: Far more important than getting the detail of your campaigning techniques right is getting your approach to campaigning for your area right. See how you do on our quick quiz.
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8 Comments
I was but not any more. While I like most of what Lib Dems in Central Government are doing (and preventing the Tories from doing) , the tuition fees fiasco means I’ll be told I’m a liar wherever I knock on a door. No thanks.
Actually yes, I will be standing, in a previously safe lib dem area.
I won’t be standing as a liberal democrat however.
Larry, thanks for taking the time to come on this site and write that insightful comment. Where do I subscribe to your newsletter?
Commenting reminder: Please remember to respect our moderation policy when commenting, including in particular the references to off-topic comments and to repeatedly making the same comment in different threads. We have this policy so that people can choose to take part in the discussions which interest them, rather than finding the same discussions shoe-horned into threads on posts on a wide range of other topics. More details are at https://www.libdemvoice.org/comment-policy Thanks.
“Or, very wisely, are already thinking further ahead” might seem like a light-hearted comment on our chances in May, but doesn’t perk up the poor saps who are re-standing this May after years of dedicated serviced as Councillors and who, thanks largely to long-term thinking nationally, are probably going to unfairly pay the short-term price locally.
I’d urge everyone to stop thinking beyond May until beyond May!
Richard: sorry if my phrasing wasn’t clear – I meant people who might not have local elections in May 2011 but are already thinking about their local elections in future years (e.g. people in London boroughs).
If you are thinking of standing, bear in mind that libraries are a big issue in areas where they are under threat – and they are under more threat now at any time in the history of this country. Estimates are up to 1000 could close in 2011.
For a list and map of libraries under threat of closure see http://publiclibrariesnews.blogspot.com/. For reasons to defend libraries see http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/
TW, I’ve been out on the doorstep with Lib Dem candidates for next year’s local elections. The only people who’ve been unpleasant to me are the ones we’ve already canvassed as being strong Labour supporters.
I’d encourage anybody to go out knocking on doors and compare the reaction of the public in your local area with the hype and hyperbole flying around the Internet about how “hated” we supposedly are.