I have just spent 3 days in Brecon and Radnorshire working out of the Llandrindod Wells Lib Dem Office. The reception on doorsteps is very good, but there are a lot of people who have yet to decide whether they will back Jane Dodds or to stay at home. What the campaign needs in the next few weeks is data and that means lots of people knocking on doors.
Bluntly, not enough people are coming to help in this, the most likely Lib Dem by-election prospect of this Parliament. Jane Dodds, Leader of the Welsh Lib Dems is a top notch candidate and deserves much more support.
We need hundreds of people to go.
So my question to you, dear LDV reader, is when are you coming and how long can you stay?
If you want us to win this seat, then YOU have to offer your help. There is lots of canvassing to do, there are thousands of leaflets to deliver, there is clerical work in both the Brecon and Llandrindod offices to do.
I am utterly convinced we can win this seat. We held it almost continuously from 1985 to 2015 and the Welsh Assembly Member is Lib Dem Education Minister Kirsty Williams. The Tory candidate is the former MP who was found guilty of expenses irregularities and recalled by over 10,000 of his constituents. The Greens and possibly Plaid Cymru are not standing to boost the remain side and Labour haven’t won this seat for generations. The real threat probably comes from the Brexit Party, who may well mop up many of the Brexiteers as they did in the EU elections.
To put no finer point upon it, this seat is ours to lose. Without YOUR help we may not be able to pull off the victory we deserve.
I am coming back with my wife Ruth for the last 3 days of the campaign, because we can’t make it at other times. Please, cancel whatever you are doing and come to Brecon and Radnorshire.
One final point. This seat can be reached easily by train and by car, even from London. I travelled from West Yorkshire and my mate Steve from Devon. YOU can come too. Accommodation can be found on booking.com and other travel sites for around £60 per night. If you want to be put up locally then there is a team seeking beds at supporters’ homes.
See you on the by-election trail!
* Dr Michael Taylor has been a party member since 1964. He is currently living in Greece.
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6 Comments
Coming to Brecon for 3 days week after next -2 of us
Good encouragement from Dr Taylor! I’ll be driving to Llandindrod Wells from Copeland and Workington on Monday, staying two nights in a guesthouse and looking forward to canvassing probably in the countryside, much like helping out Tim in South Lakes, I am told. Bound to be fun, and the chap manning the phones said canvassing was going well. I was urged to ask colleagues here unable to go to offer phone work some time too.
There will be lots of new LD members reading this. I mean people who have joined us since 2015, some even just this year, who haven’t done much campaigning and are wondering whether to go to Brecon or not. Take it from an old-timer who joined in 1987: you will absolutely LOVE the LibDem by election experience. There is nothing quite like it. You’ll come back home with tonnes of knowledge about how the party works, having made friends you’ll have for the rest of your life, and with stories you’ll be telling other party members for just as long. Seriously – Go!
And PS You don’t need to know anything about campaigning or party policy or anything like that. You’ll be told what to do, and you won’t be the only newbie. Honestly you’ll soon be part of the team and helping to train other new arrivals.
Been already. Fantastic scenery, even the inevitable drives between villages will be a joy. Will try to go again if time allows.
The BBC political reporter, Chris Mason is saying on Twitter that Plaid (and the Greens) are not standing.
(nominations close tomorrow but the Brexit Party have said they are standing)
Plaid only got 3% in 2017 and the Greens didn’t stand but should be helpful but obv. a lot of work to do!
The council have said postal votes will be sent out starting on July 17th. So next two weeks may be vital!!!!
I welcome the decision of Plaid Cymru. Now we have to beat the Brexiteers. LibDems now need to descend in their thousands on B&R to canvass en masse, find our supporters and then get them to vote. Victory is never certain in FPTP elections. YOU can make it certain by coming to help.
TonyH is spot on. Come to B&R new members. By-Elections are a not to be missed opportunity to learn all about campaigning and meet lots of other LibDems. Onward and upward!