Saturday, April 09, 2005
The offline campaign update.
Well it is the weekend and I'm sittting in my car while the wife shops, I am now in the hartlepool constituency and the lack of posters is shocking, when mandy left for europe the Liberals were all over this place!
Spotted some more Liberal posters at the Tinford roundabout on the rat run.
Wonder if there is an ink/paper shortage?
Spotted some more Liberal posters at the Tinford roundabout on the rat run.
Wonder if there is an ink/paper shortage?
Friday, April 08, 2005
While it is quite, a personal thought/ramble.
Just a personal thought while waiting for the "games to begin"
We all know who is going to win this seat, Hilary and it is a bit boring really.
Thats probably why I've started this blog, to at least get some interest out of the election from a personal point of view.
This is my first election as a tax payer, which I thought might change my mind slightly on who I chose but nope in my heart I am a Liberal Scottish nationalist living in England.
What might change my mind to vote for Jamie is not his policies but if I think he has a chance of making a good dent in Hilarys majority. I am backing blair you see, and I am not voting Labour.
The thought about voting for the Tories makes me feel funny, its my up bringing and I possibly would be cast out of my family for even thinking about it, but if it gets rid of Blair then so be it.
But I am pretty sure that thought is the same as many traditional Labour supporters who don't like Blair, they would probably rather cut their arm off than vote Tory...ok maybe not that far..they'd rather not vote.
But at this minute, the Liberals are not impressing me enough to vote for them and I will never not vote.
We all know who is going to win this seat, Hilary and it is a bit boring really.
Thats probably why I've started this blog, to at least get some interest out of the election from a personal point of view.
This is my first election as a tax payer, which I thought might change my mind slightly on who I chose but nope in my heart I am a Liberal Scottish nationalist living in England.
What might change my mind to vote for Jamie is not his policies but if I think he has a chance of making a good dent in Hilarys majority. I am backing blair you see, and I am not voting Labour.
The thought about voting for the Tories makes me feel funny, its my up bringing and I possibly would be cast out of my family for even thinking about it, but if it gets rid of Blair then so be it.
But I am pretty sure that thought is the same as many traditional Labour supporters who don't like Blair, they would probably rather cut their arm off than vote Tory...ok maybe not that far..they'd rather not vote.
But at this minute, the Liberals are not impressing me enough to vote for them and I will never not vote.
The Liberals: Online Look
Now heres a story which might change.
Alan Orr has no online presence other than his profile page.
I am shocked at this, but I am willing to change this for them.
I have emailed the Durham City campaign offering to run and host a site for him if they provide me with the news, no charge. I have left a voice mail message on the number provided on Alans profile page.
This was yesterday, I was told last night that my email will be passed on to the regional branch.
Oh I have also offered to hand out some posters, stick a poster up and do any computer/clerical work on the regional site.
The regional site is an dogs dinner of a website it has to be said, the only saving grace is that the Durham City site and our MEP site both look good so they must have the skills somewhere. Also the Durham City one has at least been updated this month!
Alan Orr has no online presence other than his profile page.
I am shocked at this, but I am willing to change this for them.
I have emailed the Durham City campaign offering to run and host a site for him if they provide me with the news, no charge. I have left a voice mail message on the number provided on Alans profile page.
This was yesterday, I was told last night that my email will be passed on to the regional branch.
Oh I have also offered to hand out some posters, stick a poster up and do any computer/clerical work on the regional site.
The regional site is an dogs dinner of a website it has to be said, the only saving grace is that the Durham City site and our MEP site both look good so they must have the skills somewhere. Also the Durham City one has at least been updated this month!
Labour: Online Look
Now Hilarys website is not yet live, but I have been told that it will be live on Monday once her MP website is closed down.
The reason her MP website is closing is because she can't call her self an MP once parliament is dissolved on Monday due to Electoral Commission guidelines...I emailed her website team just to remind them yesterday...what a minx I am.
I will comment on her old site first and then update this on Monday.
Now from a website point of view her site is fine if a bit brochure-ish, but if the number of updates on it are anything to go by then its the same as the Tories. The last press release was in January and the last news item was the 4th of Febuary.
I keep getting this sinking feeling we're being forgoten and taken for granted...but best hold back on that until Monday.
The reason her MP website is closing is because she can't call her self an MP once parliament is dissolved on Monday due to Electoral Commission guidelines...I emailed her website team just to remind them yesterday...what a minx I am.
I will comment on her old site first and then update this on Monday.
Now from a website point of view her site is fine if a bit brochure-ish, but if the number of updates on it are anything to go by then its the same as the Tories. The last press release was in January and the last news item was the 4th of Febuary.
I keep getting this sinking feeling we're being forgoten and taken for granted...but best hold back on that until Monday.
The Tories: Online look
For my sins I am a web site developer, see I run this one, so I am very interested in what our local PPC's are up to online.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw this effort by the tories, I am very impressed it looks great and is well organised.
I do have to say one thing about the front page though, not until the 3rd paragraph is Jamie Devlin mentioned and that is the only place on the front page Jamies name is mentioned! From a search engine point of view thats not very good, and from the all important punter point of view it takes a bit of reading to find out who the Tory PPC is.
To the issues/campaign points highlighted on the site.
Hilarys absence is mentioned from the off right on the front page, something that bothers myself as a voter also.
In the news section we have the following issues:
Jamie Supports Weardale MS Society
and
Jamie Supports Local Hunt
One thing that I have just noticed, the latest news item was added on the 19th of March..hello? Are we not in the middle of an election or is it just me?
From a good first impression things have gone a bit downhill, what is Jamie campaigning for in Durham North West? Just that Hilary is never here, to behonest I'd rather have her living in 9 downing street that someone with no issues.
Come on people...
UPDATE - I thought it would be fair to email each PPC, well I would if I could get an email for Alan Orr...but any way, Jamie replied back to me in 7 minutes (Slow day jamie or just caught you at your desk ;-)).
Jamie is updating his site over the weekend - " it will be updated with full list of policies /
election material over the weekend!"
Good on you Jamie, right you Liberals answer your emails please.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw this effort by the tories, I am very impressed it looks great and is well organised.
I do have to say one thing about the front page though, not until the 3rd paragraph is Jamie Devlin mentioned and that is the only place on the front page Jamies name is mentioned! From a search engine point of view thats not very good, and from the all important punter point of view it takes a bit of reading to find out who the Tory PPC is.
To the issues/campaign points highlighted on the site.
Hilarys absence is mentioned from the off right on the front page, something that bothers myself as a voter also.
In the news section we have the following issues:
Jamie Supports Weardale MS Society
and
Jamie Supports Local Hunt
One thing that I have just noticed, the latest news item was added on the 19th of March..hello? Are we not in the middle of an election or is it just me?
From a good first impression things have gone a bit downhill, what is Jamie campaigning for in Durham North West? Just that Hilary is never here, to behonest I'd rather have her living in 9 downing street that someone with no issues.
Come on people...
UPDATE - I thought it would be fair to email each PPC, well I would if I could get an email for Alan Orr...but any way, Jamie replied back to me in 7 minutes (Slow day jamie or just caught you at your desk ;-)).
Jamie is updating his site over the weekend - " it will be updated with full list of policies /
election material over the weekend!"
Good on you Jamie, right you Liberals answer your emails please.
An offline look at the campaign so far in Durham North West.
Now on my rat run from my home in Fir Tree to my work in Castle Eden I travel through 4 constituencies.
Those are:
Durham North West
Bishop Auckland
Durham City
and Sedgefield
All very safe Labour seats, all so safe its wonder any party are trying...bar Sedgefield of course.
In total from going through all these areas I have seen some by the road posters by the Liberals in Durham City (On the A181) and a "Labours working don't let the tories reck it" type billboard poster in Wingate, which is in Sedgefield.
And thats it!
Of course its early days but come on! Are we not even bothering? If the parties are not bothering trying to get my vote how do they expect the voters to be bothered to vote for them.
Just asked around at work, one other rat runner lives in consett and again the only posters hes seen are the lib dem ones.
Those are:
Durham North West
Bishop Auckland
Durham City
and Sedgefield
All very safe Labour seats, all so safe its wonder any party are trying...bar Sedgefield of course.
In total from going through all these areas I have seen some by the road posters by the Liberals in Durham City (On the A181) and a "Labours working don't let the tories reck it" type billboard poster in Wingate, which is in Sedgefield.
And thats it!
Of course its early days but come on! Are we not even bothering? If the parties are not bothering trying to get my vote how do they expect the voters to be bothered to vote for them.
Just asked around at work, one other rat runner lives in consett and again the only posters hes seen are the lib dem ones.
The hello world post.
Hello world.
Not sure if this is going to work but hey its worth a try.
I am going to try and blog the campaign in North West Durham.
Any one willing to help my email address is to the left.
Cards on the table first off, I am a Liberal supporter I have donated to them in the past. My own thinking for this election is to vote for the party most likely to beat Labour in N.W Durham but with Hilary having such a huge majority fat chance of anyone beating her.
What I am interested in though is the campaigns each party try and put together in such a "safe" seat...I have a feeling of defeatisim from the Liberals already..but I'll get to that later on.
Not sure if this is going to work but hey its worth a try.
I am going to try and blog the campaign in North West Durham.
Any one willing to help my email address is to the left.
Cards on the table first off, I am a Liberal supporter I have donated to them in the past. My own thinking for this election is to vote for the party most likely to beat Labour in N.W Durham but with Hilary having such a huge majority fat chance of anyone beating her.
What I am interested in though is the campaigns each party try and put together in such a "safe" seat...I have a feeling of defeatisim from the Liberals already..but I'll get to that later on.
