Finally!! A political canvasser has knocked on my door.

[GargoylesofBeelzebub]

Representative of a Labour candidate. He handed me a flyer and asked me what my thoughts were. I have been waiting for this moment for a LONG time!

I told him I would only be voting for candidates who recognised that the definition of a woman was someone of the female biological sex and would uphold the Supreme Court ruling.

He stood there grinding his teeth and said he had no idea what her stance on the matter was. 🙄 I expressed surprise given it’s a big topic in the news right now…

He denied it had ever cropped up and turned tail and ran.

Well done. I hoped two people were just now but they were Jehovah Witnesses. Crazy weather here too, what commitment.

Well done. I had a particularly enjoyable discussion with the canvasser at our last general election. To be fair, he did seem to understand the issue and possibly even show some terfy tendencies - and I felt slightly sorry for him after I'd been bending his ear for ages when he said that he needed to go as he could see his colleagues had finished doing our (pretty long) road and he would be in trouble if he got left behind.

No canvassing here because we have electric gates and a long driveway.
I’m tempted to leave them open just so they think they’re welcome to come to the door.
No matter what ‘colour’ they represent, they lie. They’ll say anything you want them to for your vote.

We never get canvassers. I mean, my local area does, but they don't knock on my door anymore. Gutted.

It's a Labour stronghold so no-one else bothers coming round.

In the run-up to the 2018 local elections, I said I wouldn't vote for Labour because of their views on sex and women. He was completely dumbfounded. Like, almost open-mouthed with shock. He said he'd never had anyone ask that on the doorstep before and wasn't sure what was happening locally or nationally on the issue.

I told him I wouldn't vote Labour so long as they believed women could have penises. He just stood there looking at me like I was mental. They haven't been back since. They're been on my street but never knock my door.

I suspect I’m on a labour blacklist after one came to my house at the last local elections. He walked off saying I was disgusting and he wasn’t going to talk to me

I love it when they come round. One potential incoming labour councillor seems sane so far, I await the rest with anticipation.

I’ve never once had one. We're in the sticks up a muddy lane, so maybe that puts them off. Shame, I'm dying to have a 'conversation' with any one of them LOL.

I think the Lib Dems have blacklisted me, I've not seen one since 2019, when I may have given him a bit of a diatribe. Never seen Reform, but the Tories and Labour seem to pop round quite often pre election.

interestingly my Labour canvasser said the same last time “didn’t know the candidates position”.

I told them that it was a key issue for me and that they should know. Especially as the canvasser was a woman. To be fair she did seem sympathetic.

I keep a list of questions in my notes app, so that I’m ready for anyone who comes to the door.

Our street doesn't get canvassed that often but that might change with the upcoming MSP elections.

All the Lab activists I'm in communication with always claim sex-based rights never come up on the doorstep. One exception (he's since defect to GPEW), who was initially discombobulated, then dismissive (how dare she not realise that as a mere voter she's not entitled to disagree with her hard-working local councillor about what the really important issues are). He walked away rather than hear her out. No self-reflection whatsoever.

You're lucky, we've only had two candidates call in 30 years of living here (too rural for them to bother). Sometimes you know you just want to have a good argument on the doorstep!

The SNP were round the other day and I missed them. I had questions! 😭

Oooh, a list. Excellent idea. I will make one to keep by the door.

At the last local elections 4 years ago I had Boris Johnson's wife Carrie, with baby in a front carrier, knock on the door in support of one of the Tory candidates, who was a longstanding friend. I went into a huge rant about gender/trans issues on her.

A political canvasser at the door?

One must assume he was lost and has been wandering about since 1992.

I would love to see your list.
My MP knows my feelings as he received a complaint email for talking over me on the doorstep.
One of his canvassers knows I won't vote for that MP and I suggested she ask him to explain why.

I would love to make a list of questions that may hopefully circumvent the intimidation and ear bashing I received from my MP last time

It helps avoid the “I wish I’d said that thing dammit” after you close the door.

I have a wee note of things per party too.

I’m a floating voter and always make sure to mention that, my vote is up for grabs if they can make a good case.

I had one a year or so back from my local Scottish Labour Party on a Saturday afternoon. At that time, they had very much a 'hey if a man says he's a woman you better believe him' attitude. So, he had 15 mins or so of getting a flea in his ear and being told I absolutely would not be voting for any party who wanted to diminish women's rights.

Similarly, my local farmer's market often sees representation from the local SNP Party and they bravely sent a teenager over to ask my views on the forthcoming election.............eventually I was introduced to the local MSP and told him that a Scotland with less rights for women than we have now really wasn't worth any women voting for. A conversation followed, and he realised that he was never going to convince me to vote for a party that would put rapists in women's prisons. He did say, "I don't think I am going to convince you, am I?" so he wasn't that daft in the end 😂

We get more canvassers, and even the occasional candidate. here in Ireland because of our different electoral system which make every vote matter.

They are trudging around doing something they believe in and often getting abuse, or slammed doors [arguably justifiably!] so I'm always nice to them.

And I always challenge them about their gender policies - and sometimes inform them, as I've had canvassers indicate that they weren't fully aware there was actual self-ID in Ireland, and that a man could just say he was a woman and he'd legally be a woman??

Er yes, it's the actual, like, law!🙄

And when I've finished haranguing them about gender issues, I point out to them that what they are standing on is my doorstep, so if I hear their candidate saying
'Gender issues never come up on the doorstep'
I'll know they're lying😁

Sheryll Murray used to turn up herself. Anna Gelderd (sp?) sent one of her minions, who happened to work as SLT for the NHS giving " voice therapy" to trans folx. That didn't go down well for either of us. 🙄😬

Do parties blacklist houses? I have had both Lib Dem and Labour flee my door over this issue ans now no one knocks

One year while I was WFH I saw on Twitter that the Green candidate was outside my polling place at that moment. She had feminist in her bio. Suddenly it was the perfect moment to zip along and cast my vote. We had a good exchange of views. I think I said I'll vote for you if you can admit you don't genuinely believe a man can become a woman, if not I'll waste my vote. I thought she was going to cry. I said you need to take feminist off your bio.

Please can we see your list of questions..? Would love to challenge any SNP / Greens / LDs / Labour candidates that may darken my door but always end up an inarticulate mess in the heat of the moment!

@Seriestwo
Not as such. There are different ways of canvassing. Often a party will accumulate data on voters, (demographics and then through door knocking) so that they know which addresses and voters are worth targeting (extra leaflets, visit from the candidate etc.), which are worth knocking up on the day as part of GOTV (Get Out The Vote) and which are definitely NOT going to vote for them and therefore not worth wasting further time on. Feminists who ask awkward questions about women and women's sex-based rights go in that category.

The interesting thing is that canvassers record information about encounters with voters via forms, including the sorts of issues that are raised. Sometimes a deliberate decision is made not to have a code for concerns about sex-based rights. No data, no problem, not an issue for voters...

I live in a marginal council ward and parliamentary ward. Used to get regularly door stepped by Lab after I told a random canvasser I might vote for Lab. Stopped a couple of years later after I took them to task on felling of street trees and plans to clear a much-loved local fragment of ancient woodland. I specifically said I wouldn't consider voting for them at council level, but they stopped canvassing for GEs too. The LDs always ask for my partner, because the electoral roll tells them he's at the address and they already know I'm not a potential voter.

A labour canvaser came to our door and my husband said to him, "You are lucky my wife is on the phone right now" and mentioned to him that it's incredulous Kier Starmer doesn't know what the definition of a woman is. Bloke scarpered off looking sheepish.