Last weekend was a big one for Labour in Norwich: Labour Students – from as far afield as Dundee University – were flocking in to help Labour’s candidate for Norwich North: Jess Asato, a former Labour Student, in her bid to win the first of the Frontline 40 seats in 2015. Labour Students who came put in just under 100 combined hours of campaign activity over the two days through both traditional doorstep action and the new community organising methods.
Norwich North is just one of six Frontline 40 seats in the eastern region that will deliver Ed Miliband a majority. It is well documented on this website that the eastern region faces a bigger challenge than most having fewer Labour MPs than any other region in Great Britain. Winning back seats like Thurrock, Ipswich, Waveney and Watford (where Labour came third in 2010) will be huge challenges in themselves; but the challenge is such that these gains alone will not be enough to guarantee Ed his place in No 10 based on a uniform swing.
Labour Students can be a driving force in aiding the region’s candidates in target seats – who are now becoming well established – with the doorstep hours, phonebanks and energy in the run-up to 2015 that can be offered by our movement. As prospective candidates across the region get into the habit of community campaigning over the next two years there is the potential for much overlap and cooperation with Labour Students too. For example, Labour Students has recently chosen ‘Stop Payday Lenders’ as its priority campaign for this year; since many prospective candidates and local CLPs will be thinking along the same lines with their respective community campaigns (many have already started), there is a golden opportunity to work together and establish year round campaigning ties across the region.
What’s more, the local and European elections next year will be also an opportunity for Labour Students in the east to operate a ‘dress rehearsal’ for 2015, campaigning in marginal seats across the region and building campaign links with the respective PPCs and local parties. Labour Students will be looking to get out more in the new term and would like to invite any candidate, agent or activist in the east to join the Friends of Labour Students today and provide vital support to our organisation. On August bank holiday Labour Students will be going back to Norwich to help Jess’ campaign again and all readers are welcome to join us in helping a great cause. As the general election draws closer there is a real ambition to roll out events like these all over the region too.
Miliband’s road to Downing Street will run through Peterborough, Cambridge, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Harlow, Basildon and many other key areas in the east; and Labour Students will be with him the whole way.
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Joseph Gaytten is Labour Students’ eastern region coordinator. He tweets @JoeGaytten