Voter ID

Over the coming weeks leading up to Polling Day on Thursday 5th May, I will be continuing the work I've been doing since the beginning of the year - being out and about in Cowick, talking to local residents about local issues and concerns and trying to find out if they are planning to vote for me.

Traditionally this is known as canvassing but it really is a form of surveying - in the new terminology of the Labour Party, Voter ID.

We don't spend time trying to convince them to vote Labour or change their minds, just get an idea of any local issues - or national - that bother them and an indication of their usual political allegiance and how they plan to vote in May.

Some residents will remind us that it is a secret ballot and that their voting intentions are a matter "between them and the ballot box" and I fully respect this element of democracy - but many more are prepared to tell us which way they vote, or if not directly, tell us "NOT Labour".

I ask them about local issues first, and then which way they vote. Some people are confused by this when they say they're against - surely I should have asked which party they support before I question them about local issues.

NO, NO, NO. Helping people with difficulties crosses party boundaries. It doesn't matter if you vote Labour, Lib Dem, Tory, extremist party or even not vote at all. I will do my best to help resolve local issues whatever way they vote. My duty in these matters will be to ALL local residents, whatever their political persuasion.

Sometimes we will canvass everyone regardless of their previous political affiliation but mostly we focus our efforts in contacting people we already know are favourable to us politically or those about whom we know nothing.

And what do we do with this information?

We use it to allow us to target some direct mailings at Labour supporters and unknowns, and on polling day it helps us concentrate our efforts on ensuring that those that have promised to vote for me actually come out and vote.