In the 2009 county elections Labour was wiped from the electoral map in Hampshire in all but one of the 75 divisions. Since then the people of Andover in Hampshire have been left with a county council which is hell bent on rampant privatisation of education, the disbanding of local youth groups and which has one of the most highly paid council leaders in the country, while hoarding £200m of public money in reserve. The national coalition has been mirrored here with a series of power struggles, disagreements and back-tracking on failed initiatives.

But there are whispers of discontent in the air, not only in the traditional Labour lock-ins, but also in the Hampshire villages. Where generations of Tory voters would slam the door in our face they have started to turn on their backs on the warring coalition; they are slowly starting to hear the quiet voice of change.

Since I was selected to stand as the 2013 Labour candidate in the Andover North division I have been speaking to local people about their experience of the coalition both locally and nationally. The first complaint by many of the older generation of the town is that the Tories and Lib Dems have presided over destruction of so many businesses here.

Dozens of shops in this once prosperous market town stand empty, a reminder that the tightening grip of austerity hurts business owners like everyone else. We need businesses to prosper and build on the ability to pay a living wage, not just a minimum wage, instead they are closing and adding to the number of people unable to work and unable to provide for their families. They are building thousands more homes while ignoring the lack of amenities available for the current population.

As a parent I worry about the future of my children. They need to see young people who are inspirational, who have the capability to build their own future because of a world class, fully-inclusive education available to all and who have the support of local government for training and education. They need to see their parents working hard to provide for them instead of worrying if they will be made redundant next week. But it is not these children that many of the councillors of Hampshire are concerned with; instead they prefer to give their time to giving away education contracts to big companies.

It is for these reasons and so many more that we must partner with other CLPs to work with us and build a stronger party in the next twelve months. After years of flying the Labour flag alone, an island in a sea of thatched cottages, we have a limited membership, limited funds and essentially no equipment to run the campaign that this town and its people deserve.

A win for Labour in this small corner of Hampshire would be a national success, where Labour has been passed over for so many years there is now a chance to gain from the Tories instead of coming fourth, where dedicated Labour campaigners have fought for change and had their successes muted by Tory domination. This is a time for local heroes, but friends are needed.

From CLPs with no elections in 2013, the donation of half an hour a month of phone bank time or a direct mail campaign or even a speaker to gain local coverage and interest in our campaign can make an enormous difference. Working together we can change the lives of the people who need it most. The success of a campaign is measured by the number people we help and what better way to do that than by working together to help the smaller CLPs build support while the opposition parties tear themselves apart.

For the first time and with some help there is a genuine chance to create the biggest election upset in Hampshire for decades and continue working to inspire even the smallest Labour group to make a difference.

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Ryan Sutton is Labour’s candidate in 2013 for Andover North and tweets @Rsoton

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Photo: Chalkie_CC