Getting properly involved in politics?

[whathappenstoyourlife]

How do you do it? What happens to your life if you do it?

The reason I ask is that I have a 'friend' who stood as a city councillor canditate this time, and he became unbearable.

But I'm really drawn to getting properly involved in the the party I feel a real affinity to but I don't want to alienate all my friends in the process!

Also, am I being naive in thinking that I am drawn to it because of my strong principles and desire to make a difference (I have done a lot of volunteering in my life)? I've always thought all politicians were really in it for the power!

What do you think?

(I hope it's obvious why I've namechanged, but I am a regular!)

All the people I know involved in politics are incredibly thick-skinned, and most of them are also pig-headed.
You could get involved as an activist rather than running for office.

Also, be prepared to never have time for your family ever again.

Agree it's activists and aides who do most of the interesting work!

You need to be thick-skinned and pig-headed (ambitious and power-hungry) to become a politician....

I have always been quite heavily involved in politics , most of the people I have met have been driven by a desire to do good.

I've been involved with local politics and various campaigns etc and yes it can take over your life. Personally I do it because if I don't who will? I have no desire to stand for office and would rather be the leafleter then the candidate IYSWIM

My uncle has been heavily involved for 30 years or more. As for "alienating" friends - I suppose you are who you are, and you're unlikely to have friends who find you or your views unpalatable - his friends are mostly those he met within the party or at university years ago. He never married so it wasn't as if he had family & children waiting at home for him.

It's a direction I will take when I move back to the UK.

I have been actively involved with my party [SNP] for 35 years now. It seemed a natural addition/ progression from various voluntary groups where problems often needed a 'political' solution. Mainly I joined because I am a scotophile. I have mostly enjoyed every minute and met loads of great, like minded people. It used to be 'my' thing that I did along with work and family but my DH has become gradually more involved and the DD's help out when they have time. The DGC have already been in car cavalcades, on leafletting runs (in the pushchair) and have provided the 'cute' factor at photo calls.

If you want to be a local or national candidate you will have to serve your time first, attending branch and constituency meetings, conferences, workshops. etc. as well as campaigning activity, fundraising and keeping abreast of party policy. There may be training, vetting and selection to go through. Alternatively you can be more of a policy wonk, involved as a office bearer from branch to national level or have a more casual role participating only at election times.

What do you get out of it? The chance to develop your skills in public speaking, chairing meetings, writing pamphlets, etc. An opportunity to influence policy and choose candidates and party leadership. Occasionally, there are paid jobs within the party where your passion can become also your (poorly paid) job. For me the best thing is the camaradirie - certainly in the SNP there is no seperate hierarchy, every mucks in together and every contribution is valued. I do think, however, that the easy friendship and fun may well be unique to the SNP. Friends (and I do have them) active in other parties, often complain of bitching, misogyny and power struggles.

I have friends and family who have little interest in politics, so we just discuss other interests and that makes a nice change for me.

I love it. When I was in the UK, I delivered and canvassed etc. and was on the local exec, and now that I'm abroad I've been phone canvassing on Skype. I was out of touch for a couple of years after having DD, but got back into it at the start of this election campaign (really wish I'd done so earlier).

Certainly at the level I was at I didn't come across any bitching except for the odd complaint if someone wasn't pulling their weight. It was sheer good fun, and excellent for getting to know the area in which you live. Plus when I started delivering I would often do it with people who knew a lot, so it was really interesting to talk to them as we walked around.

Re. the extent to which it takes over your life - I think it depends how much you want it to/how much time you have at any particular stage in your life.

I haven't alienated friends etc. - most people know someone who's involved in politics in some way, so it doesn't bother them.

Definitely give it a try.

Thank you. I think I will try and get involved - I still feel a bit nervous about it, though. My 'friend' never stopped going on about it, and FB'd/twittered/blogged over and over again about it all. He got a lot of votes, but bored and irritated a lot of people too. I guess there are ways and ways of doing things!

And I guess like you say, it's possible to influence from within to a certain extent - you don't necessarily have to be the front man to do that!

So, the party I want to get involved in lost in our constituency. Is there still a point in volunteering to help them at the moment? I kind of like the idea of getting involved now so I'm really ready next time there's an election, but is it likely they'll have anything for me to do?

From what I've seen of mil it takes over your life and you can't have a conversation other than politics. She went from politics to sitting on various committees and had no time for dgc, so now they are all teens, they have no time for her.

I cannot talk to her without the conversation turning to politics or education, and as we have differing views on education, and now on politics, it is hard to be civil to her at times.

We are abroad, and do not want to go back to stay with them as this is all she talks about. Dh hasn't had a real conversation or chat with her for ages.

She is approaching her mid 70s, so it will be interesting to see what happens when all her various committees don't want her any more as she is getting a little too old.

whathappened, there's always something to do. Right now it would probably be delivering thank-you leaflets to people.

Re. inability to hold conversations on subjects other than politics - I think this is just an example of it taking all sorts.

One day soon I might even start posting elsewhere on MN again...

scaryteacher - I have been heavily involved in the NCT locally and managed not to bore the tits of anyone and everyone about it! I can see where you're coming from, as my 'friend' really, really annoyed me very quickly after he got involved. But I think that's about who you are, isn't it? I mean, if you're the sort of person who'd ram your political opinions down everyone's throat, you're going to be the sort of person who'd ram your opinions about anything you happen to be interested in down everyone's throat.

vesela - I really don't know if I would be much help at all, but I suppose there's no harm in trying! I'm good at meetings and speaking in public etc., so maybe I can contribute in that way. And then only proselytize to strangers

Oh, and I'll tell you what else I would promise to myself never to do, and that's assume that everyone else has the same opinions as me. That just drives me mad!

Of course now is a good time to join. If your candidate lost at least you will not be perceived as jumping on a band wagon. We have been busy since the election taking down posters and storing them carefully in case of a re-run in the near future, consolling each other (we failed to win a very marginal seat), and catching up with minor matters like 4 weeks worth of washing and ironing. Also canvassing views of party members re coalition possibilities and passing them up the chain.

We have 2 Plant Sales this month and two stalls at Galas in June, so preparing for these. Branch meeting this week where we will review the campaign, prepare a report and forward to election agent ready for a constituency wide review meeting. We will also be discussing a motion we plan to submit to Annual Conference and plan induction for some new members we picked up during the campaign. There is no respite!

Talking to people is a key part if political activism and banging on is how you convert people to your cause. Unfortunately being very vocal is what puts people off! In a situation where image is everything and you have to spout the party line that can quickly take over your life.

If I were to get involved I would want it to be on a 'think tank' basis - looking at policy, sounding people out about it, doing readability studies etc not actually trying to convert people to the cause as I think that does take over and you become very blinkered. A friend of mine - lovely lass, very politically active - once said that every person is a potential voter and if she doesn't try then someone else might get them. I honestly think she's incapable of having a conversation without the words 'liberal democrat' in it.

Granny - induction for new members? I just joined the party I'm interested in, a few days before the election. What happens with an induction? I'm waiting for my welcome pack and membership number - maybe I'll find out then! I hope I don't have to do some initiation ceremony or anything

Frakkin - yes, that's more the sort of thing I'd want to be doing. I wonder how to get into that? I guess I just have to take the plunge and get in touch with them! But how do I do that and say 'but don't ask me to canvass because I don't want to'!

Sometimes if there is a big influx of new members we might have an induction day - no ceremony - just an introduction to the history, structure and key policies. Otherwise this is just done informally and all the information is in the members area of the web site anyway. We would also issue a 'what you can do' checklist, where you can tick the areas you are interested in. I don't suppose you would be expected to canvass initially anyway (unless you have signed up to the Jehovahs Witnesses)

whathappens, canvassing isn't about converting people - it's mostly about asking them which party they're planning to vote for and, if they're undecided, asking a couple of further questions to work out which party they're most likely to support. You then know who/where your voters/likely voters/possible likely voters are, what literature to deliver to whom and whose doors to knock on on election day to get out the vote.

It's also about listening to what they have to say so that you can report what the feeling is. And if they have questions/issues, then answering them if you can/telling them a councillor etc. will be in touch. But you don't need to proselytise.