7/22/2009

Final Lib Dem tabloid from Norwich North

This is the final Lib Dem leaflet that I delivered to my locality earlier today. I expect there will be good morning and knock-up leaflet to follow. The Tories are delivering what we in the Lib Dem call a "D's and P's leaflet", to their, as they call them "pledges". It's great following a Tory doing this sort of leafletting as it allows you to note down which houses are Tory for our canvassing records.

With the Tory leaflet to their voters which I will count as a proper leaflet, and counting the fact that the Green's have had a leaflet go out in parts of Norwich which never made it to most of Broadland (we have only received one Freepost from the Greens aswell), the final totals appears to be

Lib Dem 14 (Inc 2 Freepost)
Tory 13 (Inc 2 Freepost)
Labour 5 (Inc 2 Freepost and one posted - Although one of these leaflets never reached parts of Broadland)
UKIP 4 (Inc 2 Freepost - Although one of the other two hand delivered leaflets only went to parts of the constituency)
Murray 2 (Inc 1 Freepost)
Green 2 (Inc 1 Freepost)
NOTA 2 (Inc 1 Freepost - Although the other NOTA leaflet had limited distribution)
Others 1 (Each - All Freepost)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Green candidate admits defeat"

Is there an actual source for this, or is it an attempt to put people off voting Green?

Nich Starling said...

I think it has been reported elsewhere that he said in the national press words to the effect of he "didn't expect to win and was fighting for second place". So it is not made up.

Anonymous said...

It is completely made up as NB knows...The Lib Dems have fought a classic Lib Dem campaign.

What they have completely failed to realise is that they lose the moral high ground. In most parts of the UK the Lib Dems are hated for this level of deception and now in Norfolk as well.

It will have long term consequences on both the City Council and elsewhere.

In North Norfolk Norman Lamb will feel the backlash especially!

Nich Starling said...

Its the truth and you know it.

Anonymous said...

I think those words 'hate' say more about the poster than anything else.

An Activist President said...

Nich,

You have to see that it is absolutely negative for any party to publish such a thing on the eve of a poll. I know you're a Lib Dem, and I know you don't like the Greens, but still, that is a cheap shot from the campaign team.

We don't always have to keep defending what our respective parties do. As I say to many of my friends on the liberal-left, the only thing worse than a Tory is a sycophant.

Luke

Anonymous said...

Nich

It would probably be helpful if you could point to where Rupert Read has conceded defeat to demonstrate the veracity of this claim.

I doubt very much that you can do this, because RR has been very clear all the way through this election that he believes that he can win.

Therefore, it is a straight forward lie for the Lib-Dems to put this in their literature, as you must know.

The question is whether it matters - some people might argue that all is fair in a by election but I believe that many people are genuinely sickened by such deceit.

It might work and the Lib Dems might win the by election, but what is the long term effect on your image both locally & nationally?

Personally, if I was the Green's I would tell you to get stuffed and not co-operate at any level in the future. This reduces your chance of influence and power, so a short term gain is at a long term loss.

It also reduces the Lib Dems claim to be, as some else has said, "the nice party".

I write this not as a Green, but as someone who used to be a Leader of a District Council who used to share power with Lib Dem's very well for 4 years.

However, if those Lib Dem's had carried out this sort of deceit I would have handed back power to the Tories.

If you don't have principles in politics what are you in it for?

Cheers

Michael Walker

Nich Starling said...

Why would the Lib Dems want to work with the Greens ?

Anonymous said...

The bar chart on the Lib Dem leaflet doesn't show the result here in the last election, what is it?

Nich Starling said...

From The Times "Rupert Read, an academic at the University of East Anglia, is campaigning to limit vast housing developments. He recognises that they are unlikely to beat the Conservatives. “The interesting question is who is on the up and whether we will come second,” he said."

Link

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6627039.ece

Now go away.

Justin Hinchcliffe said...

Disgusting, but classic, LD campaign from start to finish and your role in this - as the unofficial LD 'attack dog' -has been most interesting. No longer, I'm afraid, can you claim to be independent-minded in your blog posts (despite your love-in with Mr Dale (you conveniently use each other to prove you have friends on the 'other side' to enhance that reputation)

I not carry a torch for the Greens - far from it. But your personal attacks on them and their candidate in particular has shocked many people. Gone is your image, especially amongst Guardian readers, as the 'nice party'.

Various LD members have predicted the LDs will come second on sites such as politticalbetteing, ukpolling and vote-2007. Even figures 'leaked' from your own side say you're second. What would your response be to a Conservative claim, 'LD candidate admits defeat'? Why can't people be honest about their projections without you re-using them as X party say they can't win here?

As for your last 'newspaper' the headline is a recycled one. "It's so close!" was used in Southall, Sedgefield and Henley? Do you ever have anything original to say other than using the Cowley Street by-election templates no doubt drawn up from disgraced peer, Lord Rennard?

And if prove were needed that you're a franchise party, look no further to the latest newspaper (again): "our boys let down by Labour", complete with Union flag. I dare you to use that in Hampstead, Hornsey or Islington. Why do you cling to the Union flag in rural and semi-rural areas but not in leafy left-leaning inner-city seats?

The LDs are a joke. And a disgusting one at that!

Rant over - it's just how I feel.

Linders said...

A suspiciously similar message on this newspaper to the eve-of-poll LibDem newspaper in Crewe & Nantwich... and we all saw how well they did there...

Anonymous said...

I was asked by a Green activist in my corner of the SE why we were so keen on campaigning against them in Norwich. I pointed out that the hissy and shrill attacks, and the way they concentrate on Lib Dems as a direct challenger on climate change policies in particular, make it obvious.

Nich Starling said...

Keep taking the tablets Justin.

I could bring all sorts of things up about not taking lessons from certain people on morals in elections.

I remember a Tory in your neck of the woods a few years ago was arrested for "personation" at an election.

I actually have a number of Tory friends and met a couple of Tories this morning whilst knocking on doors who asked me if I was "The Norfolk Blogger", stated that they read it every day, take it with a pinch of salt, but find it all very entertaining.

Now if we wanted a lesson in unbiased reporting we'd go to your blog ... er ... no. Perhaps not.

Anonymous said...

I'm interested to know why, when it was "so close here" a few days ago, the swing voters clearly all decided to vote Conservative? I'd be interested to know what you think made all these voters so emphatically choose the Conservatives over the Liberal Democrats on polling day itself?

Anonymous said...

Considering the number of parties that conceded the election according to the Lib-Dem literature, how many votes would you have received without having stolen every one elses?

I would still like to know whether you consider the Fibbers have a moral cause higher than other parties after all the lies that the party told in the election?

As for why the Fibbers & Greens will have to work together, I would have thought the answer to that question was obvious. In future, the Greens, Libs and labour are going to be part of anti Tory alliance.

If you destroy trust and confidence then I am afraid that no else will want anything else to do with the Liberals.

Michael Walker

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