The Campaign Company Blog

Americans are running while we stand

It is time to grow up about how we pick our candidates. In this country political parties seem to choose their candidates on the criteria that they won't embarrass us and they can read and write and that they have complied with the Party's check box criteria.

Nothing more is required as no one wants to offend many people by saying "you are not good enough." There are appeals and hassle. Easier to stick to them through. Easier but wrong!

What about being able to inspire, think on your feet, keep people interested, handle pressure and being able to break down complex information.

It's the important criteria that never seems to be applied.

In the US however a much wider audience selects the candidate.

In the UK, understanding the rules, knowing who the key influencers in a constituency party are and the ability to count votes. These are the skills necessary to win a nomination for a safe seat. Nothing that actually makes you a good politician.

In the US the primaries sorts the good from the bad much more quickly and involves more people.  I have a problem with the quantity of money expended in the US but the principle of testing your candidates in the real world rather than just by choice of the faithful is a correct one.

Start running!

Legitimacy of Leadership isn’t Just About the Process.

Democratic Leadership is a political imperative. Perhaps a statement of the obvious but as Nick Clegg takes over the leadership of the Liberal Democrats it is ( as a life long Lib Dem supporter) worth reflecting on the rise and fall of their political leaders.

Nick Clegg has served through a time of fractious relations on the Lib Dem front benches. The sniping from within perhaps undermined Menzies Campbell but the portents of change lay out with his own front benchers shenanigans. A political leader will always be in jeopardy if their legitimacy to be there in the first place is in anyway questionable. Menzies Campbell had to deal with such a perception given the nature of his predecessor Charles Kennedy's fall. That event was the subject of unholy rows in his own party that leeched over the election contest and arguably tainted Ming's victory. The consequence of which was, in part, a party unready to accept a new leader. The sense that the press could exploit this unsettled environment was given form with the constant reference to Ming’s age, undoubtedly he was replacing a younger man who gave (if only superficially) a sense of youth and vitality, the perceived lack of these attributes in Ming fuelled the press caricature and ultimately Nick Clegg’s rise to leader.

Clegg rises to the top without the hangover that Ming had and isn’t saddled (for the moment) by a negative press caricature. Importantly the nature of the contest, albeit out of the media’s gaze for long periods, has been hard fought and undoubtedly fair. Few would argue that the process 18 months ago was any different but the context and the circumstance provide as much legitimacy in their own way as the practical process of electing a leader.

Closer to Home - Taking to the Streets!

Last week, we took to the highways and byways of north Cumbria to find out what local people thought about the proposed changes to the healthcare services in their area. 

After a successful day in Carlisle, the team travelled south to Penrith on Tuesday, before making our way through the lakes to Millom on Wednesday.  This was followed by a beautiful coastal drive to Whitehaven and then Workington before finishing up the week in Maryport.

While many claim society is becoming more apathetic by the day, we were met with the same response we get in all of our engagement with local communities : people want to be consulted!!  They are pleased - and sometimes quite surprised to be asked for their views - are are keen to find out what changes are planned and have their say.

We spoke to hundreds of local people in GP surgeries, libraries, shopping centres and hospitals about health issues ranging from acute hospital reform to GP home visits.  The overwhelming sentiments were:

• People in Cumbria want services closer to their homes
• People do not want to travel as far to visit their relatives in hospital
• People support the PCT's commitment to Community Hospitals

Above all, it was fascinating to talk to interested local people about issues that affect them so closely.  Thanks to everyone who found the time to talk to us - it's much appreciated!

In line with the PCT's commitment to engage with as many people as possible, we will be returning to north Cumbria in January to visit some even more rural areas such as Brampton and Keswick - Watch this space!!

What about the FT Governors?

The Local Government Association is today calling for 'NHS Trust directors (to be made) accountable to the elected representatives of the area' - Call for council power to fire hospital and police chiefs .Tonight Gerry Robinson is once again fixing the NHS in Rotherham on BBC2. What these two stories have in common is that they both ignore the potential role and mandate of the elected Governors of NHS Foundation Trusts. And who can really blame them? It must be a cause of anxiety for all FT enthusiasts (of which TCC is one) that FTs are finding it difficult to establish themselves as reference points when it comes to either democratic accountability or as an instrument to drive up service standards.

Community Day - a new Bank Holiday?

Just had a look at the website for Community Day which is backed by voluntary organisations such as NCVO, NACVA and CSV as well as the TUC. It calls for a new UK bank holiday that they would like to see introduced to the UK's calendar.

They suggest it could fall during the Autumn half term break in October, breaking the long run of 16 weeks without a holiday between August and Christmas.

The website says it would be a bank holiday with a difference. It would be one day in the year with a special focus on celebrating and promoting voluntary community activity.

Whether or not they are successful, the idea of celebrating community activity in a special way on a certain day can only assist in building public trust and helping make democracy work.

Using Plain English or Dumbing Down?

Apparently the Local Government Association has published a list of words that public bodies should try and not use if they want to communicate effectively with local people. Whilst I can understand why we should avoid some of them ('contestability' and 'place shaping have always been two of my favourites!), others seem perfectly reasonable-are terms such as 'good practise' and 'level playing field' really so arcane?Certainly no worse than old cliches such as 'It is absolutely vital that residents are told how to access services' which is trotted out in the LGA Press Release announcing its'non-word' list!

Students are not Revolting?

An article in today's Guardian Education section starts off by posing the question: "are students these days too cool for political protest or are they simply finding new ways to do it"?

The government's minister for higher education Lord David Triesman features in it as a 60's radical student leader and will probably be grateful for the coverage on those days rather than the recent coverage on political donations that has featured his name as a former Labour Party General Secretary!

How accurate was York student newspaper Nouse when it ran an article headed "Apathy: a modern form of protest?" following the flop of the top-up fees protest last year?

What the article doesn't cover is the fact that the composition of higher education students has changed from 10% of 18-21 year olds at university in the 60's to up to 43% of that age group nowadays.

It is therefore likely that student political involvement is more likely to reflect wider changes in society. Less trust and direct involvement in organisations reflect what is happening outside universities with the general public.

The article recognises the greater use of online protest such as the use of Facebook and this Blog covered the National Union of Students (NUS) led victory over the HSBC Bank on interest free overdrafts in August.

However we must also recognise that for every Facebook victory there are likely to be a proliferation of campaigns that are less successful.

Clearly there is no single solution to encouraging student political participation. What is needed is a range of engagement activity that includes active organisations, individual participation and online involvement.

The NUS is currently debating how it can improve the way it operates and last week voted to overhaul its governance arrangements to increase student participation. Encouraging student involvement is also a challenge for the government, pressure groups and political parties.

This is vital as today's student's will eventually be the David Triesman's of tomorrow!

Young people in Lewisham don't need burgers to vote!

The recently published "Representing the Future" report from the Councillors Commission, suggests that voters should be offered incentives such as council tax discounts or fast food vouchers to persuade them to vote in elections.

However, the results of our most recent Young Mayor for Lewisham election prove that incentives aren't needed to get young people interested in democracy. With a turnout of 45% - well above the 34% turnout for Lewisham's adult mayoral election - this election continues to show that the following are the key ingredients for successful engagement:

1. Involve young people from the start - it's young people's slogans, designs and ideas on how to raise awareness that inform the election communications
2. Make it real - young people are voting for a Young Mayor who has a budget of £25,000 to spend on improving the lives of young people in the borough. They will have real authority.
3. Feedback on achievements - the Young Mayor and the Young Advisors who support him / her let their peers know what they are doing and how previous Young Mayoral budgets have been spent. If young people can see that their vote has made a difference they are more likely to listen and learn. (visit www.binvolved.org.uk to find out what the Lewisham Young Mayors have been up to over the past few years).

So adults listen and learn!

'Closer to home' gets closer to the people of Cumbria

We have been working with Cumbria PCT over several months now on their 'Closer to Home' consultation for the future of healthcare services in north Cumbria. This week our team, led by Matthew Upton, are taking to the streets of north Cumbria to give local people their opportunity to have their say about the proposals.

Today - Monday - it was Carlisle! Among the places our team have visited - The Lanes Shopping Centre; Age Concern and the Spencer St and Grosvenor House GP surgeries. And so far - so good! People, who would not normally get involved in such a consultation, have welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the ideas and options for the future and have been more than willing to share their views.

What did they learn today?

• people are concerned about the future for everyone in Cumbria - not just what might benefit them in Carlisle with real recognition of the clhallenges faced in providing 21st century healthcare in a very rural county;
• people are keen to hear more about service improvements in Cumbria and especially Carlisle that can mitigate the need to travel to Newcastle - especially in the winter!

And - two of the people Matthew and the team spoke to had featured in the DVD we had filmed for the PCT in September - now that makes it a very small world!!

See the DVD and learn more about the consultation at www.closertohome.org.uk