Thursday 14 October 2010 12:00
LD Helen Lynch 696 (44.1; +7.3) Lab 622 (39.4; +4.8) Con 158 (10.0; -12.20 Green 79 (5.0; -1.4) UKIP 24 (1.5; +1.5) Majority 74 Turnout 24.6% LD hold Percentage change is since May 2010.
The ward is the Watford Town centre- one half of my county council division- the other half is a “village”- Oxhey- to the south! It has lots of flats, HMOs and OAP homes- over 1000 voters in these and a tower block of the YMCA with over 100 people in that almost never vote as they move on every few months. Turnout belies the fact that 500 voters were added 10 days put on the rolling register up date but 300plus due to come off are yet to be removed- more votes that in the last normal 2008 local election when turnout was 26% and we got 42.9% of the vote A very hard fought campaign due to sitting councilors moving to the USA. Labour made much of that and implied (as did Tories at the end of the campaign) that she had "stolen" her allowances to fund her holiday and stay in the USA. They run on "Fred not Florida" Lots of heavy knocking copy on the coalition cuts as well and a last minute from Labour implied we were closing a community centre on the one large council estate that is the ward!. We remained positive almost totally running on a hard working local candidate and recent fund who had helped set up a community action group in one of the five different areas that make up the ward and our year long record of action. Labour throw at us 5 leaflets – three of which were A3 in ALDC style , a full colour Florida post card- personally addressed to voters, A5 blue ink letters( unaddressed) and an personal letter to supporters plus a good morning. We had a ALDC campaign – weekly A3s, Specials – a full colour election style address, mail merge letters in the bucket load from the candidate to D & Ps, on a waste recycling site closing (Tory county council), letters from the Mayor( Dorothy Thornhill), me as County Councillor, and last minute one from one of the Borough councillors to a petition signature group, as well as street issue mail merge letters – all were selective to normally just those that voted. The Tories have won the MP in May but slipped badly- they did 3 full color A4s and letters but their candidate looked 18 on the leaflets ( he is 33!). Needless to say the Tories got some personal letters! A full poling day operation – not easy with five station in the most congested part of Herts and three plus knock ups including by phone managed to see us through. Labour thought they had it at the start of the count. However to win is not only deserved by our candidate – who was very new to it all, very hard working and in her area knew so many people- but justice over a very nasty and negative Labour campaign that put some voters off and some off us! The Tories looked a bit shell shocked, as did Labour at the decline, that there vote more than halved- almost to be fair the GE had inflated it – it had been running at 16% on average in recent locals in the ward. We worked our socks off and the old saying goes where we work and work dame hard we can win. Now onto the next battle.
I am delighted to report that Susan Kramer, candidate for President of the Liberal Democrats (see www.susan-kramer.info for further details), will be joining our canvassing session in Watford this evening with the aim of helping us to win the Central Ward by-election. The schedule for today follows so please free to join us at any stage of the session: contact Stephen (07702) 975502 for delivery or Andrew (07891) 800429 for canvassing arrangements and telephone canvassing lists. Tuesday, 4th October 1000-1800 (Stephen) A4 delivery/area letters and 1800-2000 (Andrew) park at Pay and Display; junction of Sutton/Sotheron Road, WD17 meet at junction of Grosvenor/Gladstone Road, WD17 second canvass
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