If You want My Vote Tell me Why

Like every other conference rep I got my Federal Party Committee Election papers today. One thing that constantly upsets me is that some candidates don't seem to be able to apply their experience to what they can bring to the post.

These are elections where to be fair most of the electorate have a pretty good chance of knowing a number of candidates. In fact a fair few of the electorate propably have no difficulty is putting down enough prefeerences to fill all the potential palces and possibly then some. After all the electorate does tend to largely congregate twice a year, or at least those most likely to vote do. The electorate also is pretty au fait with electioneering.

So if you want to grab my attention and I haven't had the priveledge to meet you in say Harrogate or Bournemouth in the last year or so you need to tell me why you deserve my vote. The same is probably true for a large number of other reps. Some candidates did manage make me pay them attention, some made it easy for me not to even give them a preference.

To be fair to all, especially as I was otherwise occupied for Blackpool this year, I have actually read every single manifesto. Now I may be on the approved candidates list but I also what committee members that are good for the normal party member. Especially if they show concern for those from around here who aren't prepared to travel for 13 hours to get to a South Coast conference. Some of our candidates had good idea for inclusion.

I want candidates who clearly have thought through the objectives of the committee or committees for which they are standing and how they can benefit that committee and the party. Again some of our candidtes demonstrated this very clearly and left me in no doubt as to their suitability.

Some however, made me wonder what sort of campaigns they have actually been involved in. Having working in target seats, by election and even in so called black holes I shudder at what some of these people are expecting to acheive through literature. Even getting some other people to look at it before sending it off would have given them enough feedback to re-edit.

Anyway I waded through since getting home from work and give preferences as far as I thought merited my vote and my ballots are now winging their way to Cowley Street first class.