Saturday, June 28, 2008

Canvassing in Cott.


The regional gang joined us locals for some serious campaigning today. People in Cottingham were very welcoming – as ever – and everyone we talked to was very interested.

It was great having Green Party perennial Clive Lord around. As a founder member, he’s done every Green by-election since the last glaciation and is staying ten days. He even brought his tent!

Leslie Rowe, fellow Euro-candidate, brought campaigners all the way from Richmond (N.Yorks) and we went door-knocking too.

Local secretary, Martin Deane, spotted David Davis (yet again, 'by coincidence' in a constituency of about 120 square miles), and tackled him on detention and his vote for war on Iraq. Davis said he was a Privy Councillor. So that’s alright then. (One million dead, 176 British troops, a country destroyed). Davis honestly held that the war was to bring liberation and democracy to Iraq. “It was about oil!” Martin came back, “It was planned. The Americans wanted Iraq from day one.”

We did agree though to debate the issues sometime, so look out for an official hustings.

And hurrah! People were telling us that they had our leaflet already. The remainder will arrive by Monday - in time for the postal votes.

Feel like helping? Come on up!

shan@voice-international.net

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

CALL ME

07768 806451

Dave

Anonymous said...

Iraq was about oil and I regret very deeply my decision to vote for it on the basis of deception by Tony Blair, whose war crimes trial awaits.

Iraq was about controlling long-term Middle Eastern oil supplies, and Afghanistan was about controlling long-term Caspian Basin oil supplies. Both illegal invasions were enacted with peak oil in mind.

David Davis voted for Iraq and so did I. The difference is that I regret it deeply and would vote against any further military action against Iran or North Korea. We have to produce a united front on the Left of British politics against militarisation and for proper solutions to the problems posed by peak oil and climate change.

I wish you well in the campaign.

Michael Meacher MP (Oldham and West Royton, and not a Privy Councillor)

Anonymous said...

Hiya Shan and Martin

Have just invited you both to Facebook. The Shan Facebook group now has 110 people and it would be good if you can write directly to us, should you get time of course in amongst putting together your majority on the ground in the constituency!

Best

'LouTze'

Anonymous said...

There is an interesting post from a Tory in the area, under the name "Andy P", at UK Polling Report (http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/haltempriceandhowden#comment-75476)
which inadvertantly manages to provide us with some interesting tactical information on where and how to campaign (jolly nice of Andy P!). It goes as follows:

As someone who has been working for the Tories on the ground in H&H since it was created, I consider myself to have quite some knowledge of the area! Had Samantha made some sensible points about their first second place and predictions about percentages etc it may actually have been worth responding.

Sadly, we have been treated to a series of bizarre posts which do not even seem to help the Green cause particularly.

I met the Greens in Cottingham today, they seemed a nice bunch and will no doubt put up a good fight. Cottingham is probably the area they need to be in, so a good move on basing themselves there. They may poll well in some of the polling districts in Cott. However, as you move out towards Willerby, Kirk Ella, Swanland and into Howdenshire the seat becomes progressively less liberal (small l and big L) and more staunchly Tory.

DD will win by a country mile of that there is no doubt. The interesting question for the Greens is how well of a second they can manage.

The minor party candidates will also be hampered by the size of H&H. What you do in Cottingham has no bearing on Brough, Howden or Gilberdyke and so to fight a realy strong by-election campaign you need a massive local infrastructure in order to deliver the message to the various areas in the seats. Only the Tories have this in this by-election - even the Lib Dems struggled with infrastructure in Howdenshire in 2005 which is a massive area. God knows how anyone in this by-election will be able to manage.

Anonymous said...

Why civil liberties? Why not civil RIGHTS?

Are our freedoms - whether of thought, expression or association - really 'liberties' granted to us, say, by some unelected monarch or some unelective dictator (Bliar, Brown) who has co-opted the monarch's prerogative powers, or are they not INALIENABLE RIGHTS?

My RIGHT not to be spied on by this silly junta regime, or my RIGHT not to have my taxation robbed to fund nuclear weapons, are not liberties at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau

Anonymous said...

Looks like Clive Lord has pioneered the famous 2008 Haltemprice and Howden Climate Camp...

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401183.html

http://www.youtube.com/climatelife

Anonymous said...

and get up to Yorkshire with a tent and campaign?

Enough Facepalm already, Sellwood...

The Coventry Greens
http://coventrygreenparty.blogspot.com/

Shan Oakes said...

We're really overwhelmed with gratitude for the support we are getting. Many thanks!!
How to link up with us:

Ring 01482 471463 (Martin Deane, Party Chair)
or 01482 862085 (Shan)
or 07785 572713 (Bill Rigby, agent)
email bill@voice-international.net

The constituency is 25 miles long and 15 miles wide -although 80% of the voters live within 15 minutes bike ride from Cottingham rail station.

Liaise with Bill, and we will always be able to sort out some involvement to suit your strengths

Matt Sellwood said...

I really really don't want to use this blog in some sort of private argument, but the person who keeps 'calling me out' is really really getting on my nerves.

Please stop it. I started a new job last week. I cannot drop that and come and live in a tent for the next two weeks.

If whoever keeps taking the **** would like to get in touch and talk about the (literally) thousands of unpaid hours I have put in for the Green Party over the last eight years, then I would be happy to fill them in.

But please stop targetting me personally on a blog that should be about Shan and her campaign.

Ta,

Matt

Anonymous said...

It's precisely because of all your unpaid hours that we want you up in Haltemprice Matt! Would Spain put out a team without Torres today???

If two weeks is no good, how about a weekend in a tent? Or a Holiday Inn?

A Sellwood weekend is worth 1,000 times the average activist's two weeks!!!

Go Matt!!!

Manchester Greens

Anonymous said...

Hi Shan and the team,

Well done on everything you're doing!

I'm very impressed with the way you're standing on radical principles and confronting Davis! My take on it here - http://aleddilwynfisher.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/radical-politics-in-action-shan-oakes-for-haltemprice-and-howden-mp-update/

I will keep trying to get people to donate and help, although I am starting a new job with weekend training so I might not be able to make it myself!

Aled

Anonymous said...

Great stuff. Good to see a Green is about to be elected. About time too.

Just a quick campaign idea: how about chalking "Vote Green" and other more imaginative slogans on the streets? I don't know the law on chalking, but since the rain washes the work away, how can it be more illegal than, say, invading Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Sierra Leone?

Some examples of chalking:

http://www.infinitepossibility.org/chalk/

- A Bristolian

Anonymous said...

The Observer is hosting an event entitled "Liberty in Peril" in Westminster on Thursday 3rd July at 7pm, including David Davis (former MP), me (Henry Porter), David Aaronovitch, and Denis MacShane (but, predictably, no Shan Oakes and no other Greens).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/27/daviddavis.haltemprice1?gusrc=rss&feed=politics

TO RESERVE FREE TICKETS FOR THE EVENT, PLEASE EMAIL:
rsvp.gnm@guardian.co.uk

Anonymous said...

Serena Williams: "How to Win":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7370993.stm

Serena Williams: "I always have to use the same dressing area, toilets"

Jim Jepps said...

Michael Meacher - if that is you - thanks so much for your support!