From the grassroots Articles

Ken Livingstone came for a campaigning visit in my ward last Saturday. When I was younger and at my first Labour Party Conference, I was too star struck to talk when introduced to him at a reception. I went bright red, opened my mouth and closed it again a few too many times, and then made a dive for the nearest canapé, leaving a more competent friend to make conversation.

Another month passes, along with the 100 days countdown until May 6. I have a wall chart and am watching time evaporate whilst dispatching increasing numbers of canvassers and leaflets across the ward. This would be like a military operation if it wasn’t for my new theory about Labour Party Time which means that despite your best efforts, things never really quite go to plan.

Every activist has to understand that Labour Party Time operates in a different time zone to normal.

This time last year I was engrossed in the final weeks of the by-election campaign in my ward, spending every evening on the doorstep and wondering what the chances were of emerging unscathed from the local hustings event. This means I’ve been a councillor for almost a year, which is a good excuse to pause for reflection.

It’s now winter and these temperatures are not friendly to people who spend a good proportion of their evenings and weekends on other people’s doorsteps. Canvassing in the cold requires a different set of clothing entirely, based around furry boots and thermal vests, and those clever gloves that convert into mittens (means part of your hand stays warm as you try to record your data on the voter id sheet…).