Euroelections 2014: South East Region
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Is the breakdown of results available online? I can find a few local reports but not for my own area (Reading)
Found it! http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/labour-tops-poll-euro-count-7171584 122 votes. Something to build on.
Actually it's 114, but still 8th best out of 67. It was the Roman Party, campaigning for more recognition for what the Romans did for Britain, that got that but he was a local candidate.Results here too: http://www.reading.gov.uk/council/elections-and-voting/election-results/european-election-results-2014/
I would suggest that if you want to build on the achievements of the Euroelections (which do seem to have raised the profile of the SPGB quite a bit), you seriously need to consider fielding at least 50 candidates at the next General Election. That will enable you to have another Party political broadcast on national TV (the Euroelection broadcast was good but could be improved on). It will also mean mass distribution of election material on a much wider basis.. Maybe you should aim for several millions leaflets this time. And I imagine it would provide a substantial morale booster for members and sympathisers too….Yes, it will cost an arm and a leg – £25,000 alone in the (inevitable) lost deposts – but if you dont capitalise on the achievements of the Euroelections and build on the momentum, you will have wasted a lot of your time and resources. For the first time , if Im not mistaken, the SPGB got some small amount of national and regional TV coverage. More people in the media industry now know about the SPGBIts not as if the party does not have the funds. Youve got – what ? – £300k+ in your bank account or whatever as a result of legacies and the like. You can afford to live a little dangerously . I would throw caution to the winds and go for it. Life is too short, dammit.Start planning now and even if you splash out 50K on the next General Elections you will still have more than enough in reserve for the future.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I concur, Robbo…Money in the bank is idle money.But it will take lot of preparation and advance planning…First question, what 50 constituencies? Next, have we got 50 members willing to put their name forward?…i'm sure other questions will come to my mind in due course
I also agree with Robbo, but if a lot of money is to be spent on raising the Party’s profile then how it presents its case becomes even more important.
alanjjohnstone wrote:Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I concur, Robbo…Money in the bank is idle money.But it will take lot of preparation and advance planning…First question, what 50 constituencies? Next, have we got 50 members willing to put their name forward?…i'm sure other questions will come to my mind in due courseI would hold your horses before you gallop off and give some thought on the following:1. We have learnt from our experiences in the North East that once a particular Branch, or a combination of Branches have committed themselves to election activity it has to be sustainable in respect of Branch resources being sufficient to cover the activity in the long-term. In short, one-offs are a nono.2. Contest several local elections to fully assess the above by: a) Having regular stall(s) in different localities displaying a party banner in the build up to the election. b) Holding regular public meetings with the emphasis on debates. c) A sustained letter campaign to the local media. d) Distribution of leaflets before, during and after the election campaign. e) Taking out regular adverts in the local press.3. Encourage members to take the speakers test so there are sufficient candidates in compliance with Rule 27.Although the above is not a written criteria it is a common sense approach to any future election activity. And in respect to contesting 50 constituencies in the next general election the party would really have to get it skates on especially in regards to 3. above. For presently we are no position to field 10 candidates who have passed the speakers test and also are willing to stand. Let alone 50!So instead of a gallop my advice is to take a gentle trot in line with what is going on in London. And in the meantime encourage all Branches to contest local, regional, national and european elections along the lines spelt out above.At the next Swansea Branch meeting I shall be doing my best in this respect and urge the Branch to contest the local elections next year and to contest at least 3 seats for the Welsh Government elections in 2016.
The N.E area, has the most experience in the way Brian considers election activity should be carrired out! As I have opigned before, the most important thing is a firm propoganda base. Letters, press notices, posters and general activity within an area, considered for contestation. This can be done with a "bare minimum " of members, if those members are committed. However, if it is decided, for propoganda purposes, I.E. an election broadcast, that constuencies are contested that do not fill the criteria, then try and make sure these constituncies are adjacent to areas where propoganda has been undertaken, to at least get some, "spill off" from previous and ongoing efforts.The North East area has been carrying out electioneering and the concommitant proganda, for something like 20 years, so that the case is widespread and "understood", there is no reason that this "model", cannot be transposed to other areas.If I can be of any assistance in this endeavour, I'm here and willing! I do, of course, put my name forward as a candidate, in the constituency that I have stood, upwards of 20 times and which I have put the Socialist case. Steve Colborn.
Brian wrote:We have learnt from our experiences in the North East that once a particular Branch, or a combination of Branches have committed themselves to election activity it has to be sustainable in respect of Branch resources being sufficient to cover the activity in the long-term. In short, one-offs are a nono.Hi BrianIt was during my time in the North East I believe you are referring to and we contested a general election, a euro-election and several (if not more) local elections. There was a lot of activity going on then and the branch became very focused. The intention was to contest more future elections, but things have a tendency to happen.I certainly would not describe the hard work and effort put in as a one-off affair.
The thing is, Brian, if you fail to think big you will fail to get anywhere and you will have failed to capitalise on the achevements of this first real attempt to think big in the shape of these recent euroelections. Much of what you have achieved will be lost by reverting to thinking small and cautiously. I say this as a sympathetic outsider and, of course, you are liberty to disregard completely what I say but it seems to me that taking a "gentle trot" rather than engaging in a full throttle gallop does not exactly project a sense of urgency about achieving socialism and so does not exactly ooze much in the wqay of confidence and self belief. One might understand the need to take a gentle trot if you lacked the necessary resources to commit yourself to a gallop but in this instance, this is not the case. Im not too sure what Rule 27 is but I suppose it requires that individuals contesting elections in the name of the SPGB have to pass the speakers test. If that is the case why be hidebound by a pettifogging rule of this nature – scrap it or least make it something non-obligatory and purely advisory. No doubt there are good reasons for ensuring members standing as SPGB candidates should pass the speakers test and, in an ideal world, every candidate would have passed the speakers test but we dont live in an ideal world and it seems absurd to bureaucratically restrict your options in this way. If you are not going to splash out in a big way particularly when you have more than ample financiual resources to do that then you might as well not contest any elections at all. There is little, if any, point in contesting just one or two seats. Its just a waste of time andf effort and the consequence will inevitably be disheartening There are big benefits that come with thinking big. Firstly, here I might be talking out of turn as I am not intimately acquainted with the ins and outs of parliamentary elections – so correct me if I am wrong – but is it not the case that if you contest a seat your electoral literature is distributed free to every houswehold in the constituency in question. Thats being so the post office will be foing the work that members themselves would have to do so freeing up the the latter to focus on other things. While ideally there should be an active nucleaus of members in each constituency, even without any members actually resident in a constituency at all you are still casting a huge net over an entire area which is very likely to catch at least a few fish if you follow my drift Secondly you need to contest a mimunum of 50 seats – do you not? – in order to be entitled to make a party election broadcast, Such a broadcast will give you direct access to many more people who do not happen to live in within the 50 constituencies you contest. Thats is an additional bonus to think of. Not only that , it makes for a reinforcing effect which is extremely importan if you want to get noticed . Effective campaigning requires joined-up thinking on every front And thirdly, as we have seen with euroelections, going out of your way to make a big splash gets you noticed in the media and gets people talking about you. – and indeed to you. That further reinforces your own efforts to get yourself noticed.. It seems to me that ther SPGB now has a unqiue oppruntiy to make a breakthorugh of some sort in terms of its impact in promoting a genuine socialist alternative,, It would be a great pity to squander such an opportunity. Now should be the time when you guys should be actvely thinking about this and planning for it by removing any and all pettifogging obstacles that get in the way and by carefully selecting which of the 50 or so seats you might wish to context. Dont be so conservative and cautious. Be bold and daring and you never know – this might just be the break your are looking for
Sorry there Steve, I was writing my post as you were posting yours. I grossly underestimated the amount of local election activity that took place as a branch and as a solo effort by you over the years, as a party member. My memory aint what it used to be.
A comrade tried ot post the following,.."I have unsuccessfully tried to post on worldsocialism.org about fielding 50 candidates. You don't have to field 50 individual candidates. One candidate can stand in as many constituencies as he/she/we like. The only condition is that if elected in one, s/he can't go forward to Parliament in any other (unlikely). Julian Vein"
SocialistPunk wrote:Brian wrote:We have learnt from our experiences in the North East that once a particular Branch, or a combination of Branches have committed themselves to election activity it has to be sustainable in respect of Branch resources being sufficient to cover the activity in the long-term. In short, one-offs are a nono.Hi BrianIt was during my time in the North East I believe you are referring to and we contested a general election, a euro-election and several (if not more) local elections. There was a lot of activity going on then and the branch became very focused. The intention was to contest more future elections, but things have a tendency to happen.I certainly would not describe the hard work and effort put in as a one-off affair.
Neither do I for I was also in on the ground during the euro election and was fully aware that the intention was to contest further elections. But with foresight all that hard work and effort has to be tempered with some thought on the pace of election activity matching Branch resources, and developing an election strategy which also matches Branch resources. Otherwise the election activity is in danger of becoming overstreched and unsustainable, which in truth is what occured in the North East.I'm partially to blame for this occurring in the North East for I was on the Election Committee during this period and encouraged the comrades there to contest elections at every opportunity without giving any thought to the necessity for pace and election strategy.
Matt wrote:A comrade tried ot post the following,.."I have unsuccessfully tried to post on worldsocialism.org about fielding 50 candidates. You don't have to field 50 individual candidates. One candidate can stand in as many constituencies as he/she/we like. The only condition is that if elected in one, s/he can't go forward to Parliament in any other (unlikely). Julian Vein"And any such possibility of this occurring is probably very unlikely! Unless of course we have a desire to be re-considered 'an unserious challenge to the political process' by the media establishment.
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