The campaign to ‘Kick Out Cameron’ in Witney has three aims.
We wish to be the first campaign in history to oust a sitting prime minister at a general election. Given David Cameron is so unpopular he has to buy Facebook likes, and leads a hated government that has damaged families and communities in Oxfordshire, this is more than possible. I have lived in Oxfordshire for 30 years and Witney for most of them, so I know it has a progressive history. When I moved here with my family in the 1990s the district council was led by a Labour councillor. In 2010 we did less well, coming third behind Liberal Democrats, but they are a spent force locally, blamed like the Tories for this hopeless government. Many of their voters have backed us since 2011 and share more with local Labour people than with Clegg. Besides, until recently Labour was second, in 1997 within 7,000 votes of the Tories. We have councillors across West Oxfordshire and are the largest opposition group in the district council. Only Labour can unseat Cameron, and it is up to us to kick on and kick him out.
The second aim of our campaign is to highlight the damage his policies are having, locally as nationally: the destruction of the welfare system, fuelling use of foodbanks in Witney, Carterton and elsewhere; pressure caused by the top-down NHS reorganisation on our GP surgeries and reduced staffing at the Oxford Radcliffe hospital; rampaging inequality across West Oxfordshire where mansions stand empty while local people surf sofas; and cynical moves like the ‘bedroom tax’; all are wreaking havoc in his backyard.
The third aim is to win arguments on local issues – investment in people and creaking roads and infrastructure, schools working together to drive improvement not subject to Whitehall whimsy, our NHS healthy again and responding to local needs, reinstating the youth service, creating local jobs and cutting commuter misery, more open and transparent democracy in our councils, affordable homes in our towns and villages, and a member of parliament answerable to local people.
Cameron has been our MP for 13 years. In that time little has improved locally, much (like our the A40 and other arterial roads, the extent of long-distance commuting, pressure on family budgets, the housing bubble) has got worse.
To level the playing field in the election, we have taken to crowdfunding. The advantage of using the same mechanism as Barack Obama in his amazing victories is that lots of donors from across the United Kingdom can show the breadth of support for our campaign, as well as the money making a step-change in our ability to make our arguments heard. A £1 donation means leaflets through doors in Chipping Norton, Witney, Eynsham, Churchill, Charlbury, Woodstock and the other towns and villages. But it also shows the commitment of people across the land to kick out Cameron.
Donate to the crowdfunding campaign now
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Duncan Enright is prospective parliamentary candidate for Witney, and a councillor on Witney town council and West Oxfordshire district council. He tweets @DuncanEnright
Good luck, Duncan. You are right that people respond more to local issues so go for it. If you can unseat Cameron we will all be sending you flowers, chocs, beers, whatever you like!
Good luck Duncan [you’ll need it]. Did you see Cameron on that Agenda panel discussion last nite? [ITV] He was supremely confident, sneering down his hooter at co-panellists. Cast back some 4 years’ ago, Cameron as a weak-kneed politician . He has transformed and grown in to an attractive [sic] communicator, and his pleasant persona is appealing to voters, Witney or Wherever. This is down to some fairly good PR and off-stage promptingfrom the Wizards of Oz.
Make no mistake, if you plan to unseat the current PM you may need more than a £1 quid donation to party coffers. Labour HQ seems to be backing you with votes of candy if you win. Joke.
Thanks for the supportive comments! I look forward to the beers in particular, Sylvia. You are right Roy that Cameron is good on TV, but I’m better on the doorstep and street!