Surprised at the lack of door knocking by candidates

[Fourchairs]

Not one single politician has knocked on our door. I am a little irritated by this. We have a Labour MP and a Labour run council. I think they are taking our constituency for granted. Anyone else surprised by the lack of canvassing? Or maybe they only actually knock on doors when they are being filmed for TV! Maybe they are all scared of our reactions!

Maybe drop him an email rather than waiting for him to find you?

The only thing I've had through the door here about the election is my polling card (safe Labour seat). Very few posters up.

Safe Tory seat with Lib Dem possibly challenging we’ve had one Lib Dem leaflet and complete silence from everyone and we have 8 candidates standing.

I live in Keir Starmer’s constituency. We have had a leaflet from Labour and one from an independent candidate who is giving it a bit of a go. No other leaflets and no one knocking. Given I am undecided on my vote it’s annoying that no one seems to bother, even though I appreciate it’s a very safe seat. Do they not even want to try and get their deposit back? It feels like no one really cares. I can’t even find some of the candidates if I check Instagram, X etc.

No door knocking here at all. A leaflet from greens, lib dems, tories, labour and reform. Historically safe labour seat. The only party canvasing in the town centre is reform. They seem to be out in town an awful lot and we're at the Saturday market talking to people. If the local FB page is to be believed there are a lot of people voting reform as they are the only ones bothering to speak to people. There are a lot of people around us also going for the "protest vote" as Nigel is calling it.

I'm politically homeless at the moment so would appreciate some effort from the candidates.

Many many years ago back in the 1970s I was a canvasser but the aim in those days was to identify your potential vote then knock up on polling day. The collection of numbers outside each polling station was to rush the votes cast back to the committee room cross off your supporters who have voted and target the remaining ones. Woe betide the undecided who said yes to everyone as they would be knocked numerous times! I’m not sure this process happens any more it was very time consuming and relied on lots of volunteers.

Tbh there’s an awful lot of doors to knock on in a constituency the candidate couldn’t possibly cover more than a fraction of them and there’s a small window of time that’s considered socially acceptable and it’s easy to annoy people calling at tea time etc. also mumsnet people never answer the door anyway!!!

I've already voted due to a postal vote.

The Lib Dem leafleters have struck 5 times at random times of the day and night. Nothing from anyone else.

I didn't know who the other candidates were at all.

Apart from them and the Greens I've learnt from other elections that the other candidates don't know the boundaries of my constituency.

I don't necessarily expect the candidate him/herself but it would be nice to see at least someone representing the party they want me to vote for.

I think neither the MPs or many voters have much enthusiasm for an election.

They'll be inheriting a civil service that's not in the best shape, they're the cogs that turn the wheels.

Steering newbie MPs through their own understanding of how things are done.

Having existing MPs who never expected to be in power so quickly.

There's just such a flatness about it all

We had the local labour candidate on the doorstep, and had a very long chat with him covering all sorts of things from long covid to nuclear energy, to the ferry scandal and Women’s sex based rights.

I liked him a lot, and it has made me more comfortable voting Labour.

We're in a Tory seat with redrawn boundaries. Rural and likely to stay Tory. I appreciate our house is out in the sticks and we're unlikely to see any candidate in person BUT we haven't even received any leaflets. We get more round when there are local elections. Not a single party has sent anything, and other than our incumbent MP (who also plasters her face on her bill boards) I have no idea who is standing. Granted I'll be voting for a party rather than an individual, but still I do wonder what is going on! I doubt if Labour will be pouring much into this seat - the Lib Dems have always been the closest rivals here by a significant amount.

We never have any candidates from any party knocking on doors, we live in just about as safe a Labour constituency as there is. I guess it would be a waste of resources.

I’ve been involved in local activist politics for 40 years. Parties concentrate their limited resources where they will have most impact. It’s always been the case. I’m not sure why anyone finds that surprising.

op are you waiting to cast your vote depending on someone to come and persuade you personally?

That is absolutely NOT what canvassing is about. It’s about establishing where a party’s vote is do that they can knock up their voters on polling day. Only a tiny tiny minority of it is done by the politician involved. And is becoming a much much smaller part of election campaigning nowadays anyway.

if you are determined to be personally wooed by an election candidate, I think you are going to remain disappointed.

We're in a redrawn boundary, still the same incumbent, but further west voters have never heard of him and I'm pretty sure won't be changing alliances

For the record I’m in a previously safe Tory seat. I’m a Labour member. I’ve been inundated with Lib Dem leaflets. Rather than having a moan about it I’ve got up off my arse and gone out campaigning. Anyone else who feels strongly about what their party of choice is or isn’t doing has the option to do the same. 🤷‍♀️

I've only had the Lib Dens round back some weeks ago. He was pretty smug as its a Tory stronghold and if it goes it will go Lib Dem. I told him I wouldn't be voting for them as they didn't know what a woman was. He actually huffed off without discussion saying " you don't know my views" but without actually telling me what hugs or the Lib Dem definition of a woman was.
Pointless really if they don't want tk actually put their policies forward.

All of the people saying they’ve had no callers - do you never leave your houses?

We’ve had Labour leaflets here and at our place in Scotland (mid-moving process), SNP in Scotland too and LD and independent here (NW England coast). Nothing from conservative or Reform in either. (Good, both would piss us off 😁)

My Tory MP (unbelievably still predicted to get back in - fucking ridiculous constituency ) knocked on my door this week.

They introduced themselves and I said I know who you are. I was polite and we had a chat even though I think their party is abhorrent and their defence of them is reprehensible.

I can imagine many aren’t as polite as me, it must be fucking awful knocking on doors at the moment, in this appalling populist culture war vicious society that we have become. So many people are so fucking angry so I can understand why the door knocking, at least for the Nasty party, has stopped.

Same

It would be better if three from different parties came round at once. They could ask them what is most relevant to you and hear what each of them says.

There's such little time that they're focusing on key areas that can swing

@RidiculousPrice i had someone run after me today shouting that they didn't want my leaflet. And all i had done was put a leaflet through!

I just advised them to pop it in recycling then and to have a nice day.

DH is campaigning day and night for a candidate

Most people are apathetic

BitOutOfPractice

Which party was the leaflet promoting?