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.

Im blacklisted

I asked if women could have a penis he stated yes of course they could ranted off at me about inclusion kindness etc etc I said aww bless you going to keep that energy when its about your daughters?
ANYWAY he said i should vote for him because of his extensive sen background (I have a sen child) he got in and as my councillor i asked him for help with issues i was having with my sen child's education (he has helped others) he refused so I reached out to my sexist misogynistic MP (conservative party) who helped instantly

That’s a good point. If as the pp says the concerns on the doorstep aren’t fed back then is it just made up?

The moment anyone on the doorstep says 'trans rights issue' they've focused on how women's equality affects men. Doorsteppers touch that issue with me if you dare. And right behind it will be the heating for the elderly issues, disability support and benefits issues, child safeguarding issues, farmers' issues, and children with SEND issues to open up the other burning topics of wtaf.

No one's tried it yet, but they have canvassed my DM's area, and she went in to bat. She said they were surprised and then wryly in agreement, but she has a Labour yes man in her area as I do, and he thinks whatever he's told to from above. He won't know until he's asked them.

.

The briefest google brought this up -

https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Webinar-Having-great-conversation-on-the-doorstep-30-Jan-2019_.pdf

From the Labour Party website, titled on the page as a webinar called 'why we knock on doors'.

The aim of the webinar was detailed as 'to give you the skills and confidence to
speak to key voters across the country
and uncover the issues that matter to
them.'

Bit more than just voter intention.

Surely it isn't, though, that's just spin. I think @Dietcokey 's take is fair on how canvassing works, and to think much differently sounds frankly a little naive.

Why would they be running webinars, for people interested in actually being canvassers, in how to speak to people when that's not actually what happens? Who would the spin be for? What would be the point? All you'd be doing is disillusioning people you want to help the cause.

Rather less naive than pragmatic.

'Here's the feedback from the doorsteps!'

'Oh, right. Bin's over there'

'But the training...'

'Utter shite. Ianore it. Just demand to know if they intend to vote the same wav as before'

'Oh. Maybe this isn't for me'

And off goes someone who would have been a solid yes thinking, hmm maybe not.

So how did Labour come up with it was the WFA line after the local elections?

I suspect there are two sorts of door knocking. In the olden days before an election it was definitely all about identifying your support. Canvassing with the candidate might be a different animal where the candidate is looking to build support by discussing issues. They might do this at any time not just at election time

During the hot campaign, it's basically about identifying your voters and turning them out.

When there isn't an election on, it would be good practice to have canvassers do occasional sweeps of areas to have those conversations and see what voters are annoyed about. In safe seats though, there isn't much incentive, which is why Labour HQ have tried to make #LabourDoorstep a thing, to shame lazy members into getting out and about.

Interestingly enough I had a gay male Labour canvasser round for the last-but-one LEs & when I said I wouldn't vote Labour until the Party got its shit together & stopped pretending that trashing women's rights was in any way "Progressive", he pure went off on one. He said he agreed with me 100% & that was why he was canassing, to show voters that the Party hadn't totally lost its mind. He was furious about it all. I mentioned the "nobody cares/ nobody mentions it on the doorstep" line we hear so often, according to him that was a lie.

What is WFA?

My assumption when he handed me a flyer with the candidate’s policies on it was that he was there to let me know why I should vote for her. I don’t think it should be unexpected that I ask a question about the candidates position on a particular topic that is frequently in the headlines in Scotland and that has played a part in two first ministers stepping down.

Winter Fuel Allowance?

Sadly like almost all political messaging that would appear to be hogwash.

When someone walks away from the doorstep presumably they tick voting for box. But since they’ve just talked to someone they could easily tick most worried about one too.

That they don’t and just make up a reason for the loss and even change policy due to it sounds like madness when getting info is easy, the hard part is walking around to start with.

Maybe someone will say what they hand back to parties.

I dont think it should be unexpected that we chase them down the street waving merkins above our heads while singing 'I am woman, hear me roar' wearing Tshirts printed with a mugshot of wee Nicla on the front and the pic of Isla Bryson on the back.

Actually, Nicola and Peter Murrell on the front like a couple of tits and then Bryson on the back like an arse. Then all I'd need.to do to get the message across would be turn my back.

I might get these printed up. All proceeds to Ash Regan's crowdfund.

"Blacklisted is too strong a term"

I chased after some party canvassers and demanded to know why they had tapped on the doors of ALL my neighbours but not me.

I had watched them coming up the road.

Their sheet showed a mark next to my address that they confirmed meant "asks tricky questions"

I also asked an activist friend (from another party) and they confirmed that I was on the 'swerve' list
and the reason had NOTHING to do with gender, it was tax !

Out here in sparsely-populated rural Wales, I've only ever encountered one political canvasser and that was well before the erosion of women's sex-based rights started to be such an issue. This May, however, we have an election for the new, enlarged Senedd (nearly 50% more seats up for grabs) and a new, totally proportional voting system, where every vote really will count. The chances of Labour maintaining its monopoly of power seem increasingly slight, so who knows, canvassers may think it's worth knocking on doors even in our very small village. I plan to be ready with questions, just in case.

Oh, don't misunderstand me - I'm entirely cynical but on a much broader scale, on a much long term basis. I think there are many people at a local level who want to do their bit for what they see as a noble cause and the various parties want to use that. But there's no point disillusioning these people at this early point (you need the doorsteppers and envelope stuffers after all) - hence making them feel that they are having conversations with constituents which will help the party. They mark off the blacklisted people as 'people who will never vote for ....' as per the webinar but pass on other stuff as feedback.

On a higher level, the party is aware of this feedback but deems it as wrongthink and as the views of thick proles who don't know what's good for them. They continue on their merry way, and then express surprise that they don't get as many votes as they feel they deserve.

The keen volunteers, who were so keen to advance the cause, see nothing changing. Their efforts are in vain. Feedback is ignored by the upper echelons and they see declining support for the party. They slowly become disillusioned and rescind their membership, their usefulness to the party over.

Seen it happen to many SNP members, who were involved in the party for decades. Stayed for years on a sunk cost basis before leaving in bitter disgust.

Back in Norn Iron, I only ever had a doorstep conversation on policy with one canvasser, and that was a morose looking Traditional Unionist who was happy enough to have a yarn without expecting much agreement.

My other abiding memory of election times is Sir Oliver Napier driving around in a car with loudspeakers blaring out "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello. You wouldn't get candidates doing that nowadays.

We do get SNPers driving about with a loudspeaker/loudhailer sometimes. But last time people yelled at them.

I've only ever once had a chance to quiz a parliamentary candidate on my doorstep. He'd been parachuted into a largely rural constituency from London and didn't have a bat's chance in hell against the sitting MP.

He must have known he was on a losing wicket anyway, and being grilled about women's rights didn't make his evening look any brighter.

Poor love, he lost.