Redflag reporting from ..........

 THIS IS FOR ALL THOSE THAT WISHED ME WELL

I am sorry I could not send a daily report from Eastleigh but things where hectic from first thing in the morning until around 7-8 o'clock at night myself and others where out delivering leaflets or knocking doors

I arrived in Southampton on Sunday night 24/02/13 taxi to hotel got there around 8o'clock dumped the case and went straight to Labour party campaign office to find them locking up for the night introduced my self and asked what time do we start in the morning, on the Monday morning arrived rang the bell and a face I know answered the door but could not remember his name I think I was awe struck it was John Denham MP who with Toby Perkins worked tirelessly through out the campaign, it is funny I know all the Labour parties MPs by name but with the situation being so hectic everything went blank, I was told our own Ivan White had been in the campaign office helping out also.  The majority of the MPs all came down to Eastleigh to do what they could Scotland was well represented by the Labour MP for Paisley Edinborough and Glasgow North William Bain MP and myself.

I have never campaigned before but I have stuffed envelopes and sat on committee's to select councillors for the local elections here in Scotland, but thanks to Louise Batar that had the patience to teach me everything that she knew about campaigning and others I got it, and hope that my help got John O'Farrell a few extra votes for the Labour party maybe if there had been a bit more time but as we all know Cleggy called it quick through fear which did not gives us time to get our butts into action properly but through that we will be ready for the 2015 Election because I AM so Davy Boy Nick the P***K Clegg and Diddy Giddy we are ready for you and the entire UK will be once the cuts come into being on the 1st April.

The majority of Labour MPs and Labour party members came from all over England Wales and Scotland to help out, I was out at 7 O'clock on Thursday night with Annalise from Oxford who is due a baby in May that was the dedication of the Labour party members and have met and made new friends and will see them again in September at conference in Brighton.   I will be awash with coffee.  I was scared at first but with Louise and others helping out and showing me how its done, I met a young man just out of hospital from brain surgery, his name is Adrian due to the Conservatives dwp directive he has now lost his money which has landed him in £3,000 of debt.  This Gentleman is wheelchair bound due to his medical situation.  It was clear he needed help but I was unclear on what could be done.  I approached members of the Labour Party who then got the  MP for Southhampton to help the Gentleman's and the situation is now being dealt with swiftly.  I met Adrian again a few days later and was promptly greeted with a hug and a huge Thank you for my little part in this.  

Had a photo opportunity with Yvette Cooper on Tuesday, her husband Ed Balls was going round businesses. Highlight of Tuesday was providing much needed home truths to  the Conservative MP Roary Stuart for Dumfries/Borders while being interviewed by the media on way back from buying food to put into food bank.  His facial expression once we done this was "lights on, nobody home".  Later on Tuesday while out leafletting in Eastleigh bumped into Claire Perry Tory MP for Devizes I hate this women with a passion and wanted to rip her throat out, thank god I had some sensible labour party members with me to drag me away saying she wasn't worth it.  
Wednesday Cheri Blair came for photo opportunity and ended up getting massive hug from her when she realised that I had traveled down from Scotland via coach.  


 The person talking her name is Louise Bartar and the person she mentions traveling 11 hours on a coach is myself, the thanks I got was too much for me to handle in the end, but was so grateful for the appreciation I got and will never forget the new friends I have made in Eastleigh.  So Davy Boy Cleggy and Diddy Giddy we are ready for you come 2015 (or sooner) general election.  For my Labour supporters on this forum I caught a disease while in Eastleigh if you want to know more PM me no Tories need apply.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time and really did your bit.
Sorry it wasn't a win, but the kind of dedication you and others have shown is never wasted.

boatlady wrote:Sounds like you had a wonderful time and really did your bit.
Sorry it wasn't a win, but the kind of dedication you and others have shown is never wasted.

Thanks boatlady it might not have been a win but it has given us what we need to do for the 2015 general election, and the people of Eastleigh and the rest of the UK perception of UKIP, one person I spoke too thought that one UKIP MP in H.O.C. was going to get us out of the EU, what did you think of the video ? I have watched it a couple of times because most of my new friends are on it. How are things with you and your Labour party meetings are you still enjoying them ?

Another meeting on Tuesday - haven't really got involved yet - just listening and learning

boatlady wrote:Another meeting on Tuesday - haven't really got involved yet - just listening and learning

If you need help Ivan understands politics and so does skywalker so if you send them your queries via PM I am sure they would be more than willing to help you out with info.

I'm happy that you had a good time Red and the journey was worth it for you. It's always nice to occasionally meet the people you see on TV.

tlttf wrote:I'm happy that you had a good time Red and the journey was worth it for you. It's always nice to occasionally meet the people you see on TV.

The fact is tittf they look different in the flesh, but what is more important they are real people who are not too up themselves to talk to you, I had several conversations with a few of them while stopping for a cuppa at campaign office, and the chat was things in general not politics I was thanked so many times for coming to Eastleigh even the Labour MPs could not believe that I would have travelled so far to help out in Eastleigh.

Well done, Redflag. This kind of solidarity is a key strength of the Labour party. Knowing our town is a pretty safe seat, our local MP is already making plans for the local party to act as a resource in 2015 for the few around the region that don't already have Labour MPs. We had so much help in the by-election from grass-roots members all over the country that it will be a pleasure to return the favour.

Hope you had a safe trip back - I've been on a tour of the country with my wife visiting our kids, so just catching up!

skwalker1964 wrote:Well done, Redflag. This kind of solidarity is a key strength of the Labour party. Knowing our town is a pretty safe seat, our local MP is already making plans for the local party to act as a resource in 2015 for the few around the region that don't already have Labour MPs. We had so much help in the by-election from grass-roots members all over the country that it will be a pleasure to return the favour.

Hope you had a safe trip back - I've been on a tour of the country with my wife visiting our kids, so just catching up!

The journey back was around 12 hours due too trouble on the motorway but it was worth both journey's and would do it again without a thought, so roll on the next by-election I am ready for anything this Incompetent gov't throws at us, I am going to the conference in Brighton in September and meet up with all the friends I made in Eastleigh.

Once again I'm glad you enjoyed your days away Red, by any chance have you noticed that O Farrell is releasing a new book next week (good publicity for nothing) and has already stated he won't be trying again to become an mp?

tlttf wrote:Once again I'm glad you enjoyed your days away Red, by any chance have you noticed that O Farrell is releasing a new book next week (good publicity for nothing) and has already stated he won't be trying again to become an mp?

I have not heard of anything you have said tittf, could this be a bit of wishful thinking on your side ? I worked for four days with John O'farrell and I think if he does not try again it would be a great loss to the Labour party.

tlttf wrote (on another thread):-
He never rescinded it and he also never rescinded his wish that Argentina should win in the Falklands

John O’Farrell said: "I wrote an honest memoir and volunteered this fleeting bad thought from 1984 to illustrate how hatred can poison politics." He reported how he felt at that time, the same way that millions of other people felt at what was the height of the miners’ strike. You ought to welcome that kind of honesty in an aspiring politician. Of course the muck-rakers at ‘The Daily Mail’ had to dredge up this 'thought' from 29 years ago in their desperation to smear him, and then some gutless Tory MPs used parliamentary privilege to libel him, knowing they could be sued if they made their comments outside the House of Commons.

Thatcher was no supporter of democracy. She never hesitated to support brutal dictatorships if it suited her. I wonder how families of the victims of Pinochet felt about her befriending him and having tea with him? I wonder what some limbless Cambodian civilians think of Thatcher, who had the SAS train the Khmer Rouge in the art of laying landmines?

Thatcher caused the Falklands War – and the deaths of over 900 people – by sending out signals that she wanted to get rid of those islands to save money. She sent Nicholas Ridley to try and persuade the islanders to give up British sovereignty (the validity of which is in any case dubious). She ignored warnings six months before the war that Argentina was planning an invasion.

As Naomi Klein explains in ‘The Shock Doctrine’ (p.137):-

“When news arrived that Argentina had laid claim to the Falklands, Thatcher recognised it as a last-ditch hope to turn around her political fortunes and immediately went into Churchillian battle mode. Until this point, she had shown only disdain for the financial burden that the Falklands placed on government coffers. She had cut grants to the islands and announced major cutbacks to the navy, including the armed ships that guarded the Falklands – moves read by the Argentine generals as clear indications that Britain was ready to cede the territory. One of her biographers characterised her Falklands policy as practically an invitation to Argentina to invade.”

If you want to discuss the Falklands further, please do so here:-
https://cuttingedge2.forumotion.co.uk/t246-falklands-mark-ii

How strange that you can berate Thatcher for the Falklands and the deaths of hundreds of armed forces and her friendship with dictators. Yet you conveniently forget Blair and Brown conveniently sucking up to Gaddafi, the THOUSANDS of lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan (still dying) and Blair sucking up to the IRA.

At least with the Falklands the land belongs to us, (Argentina wasn't even a country back then) and we are giving them the option of staying as part of Britain or having their own independence, which is pretty much as it should be.

tlttf. That’s right, move the goalposts yet again, just like the typical troll that you are. You raised the issue of Argentina, which has a peripheral relevance to the Eastleigh by-election, but then berate me for not mentioning Gaddafi, Iraq and Afghanistan, which are nothing whatsoever to do with this topic.

Then, as usual, what you do post is your usual mixture of half-truths, over-simplifications and lies. Whether or not Argentina existed as an independent nation in 1766 is irrelevant. Sticking a flag on a piece of land and then abandoning it for the next 57 years hardly amounts to a strong claim to sovereignty. As for you saying that Blair “sucked up to the IRA”, that’s a disgusting lie and it’s probably libellous. What Blair did do was to broker peace in Northern Ireland with democratically-elected politicians, not befriend one of the worst dictators of the last century.

Once again, you ignored a request to stick to the topic. What part of this don’t you understand?

If you want to discuss the Falklands further, please do so here:-
https://cuttingedge2.forumotion.co.uk/t246-falklands-mark-ii

Any more of your diversionary tactics on this or any other thread will be deleted without further explanation.

Your the one that brought Thatcher into the topic Ivan. As such you opened the door for Blair to be added. As for libel, Where?

Return to topic by all means but if one can deviate then all can.

tlttf wrote:Your the one that brought Thatcher into the topic Ivan. As such you opened the door for Blair to be added. As for libel, Where?

Return to topic by all means but if one can deviate then all can.

As you seem to think its alright to blame Labour tittf for everything that goes wrong just like the Tory party do, even the fact that it was Labours fault they lost the Eastleigh by-election, so if you are going to throw it up in our faces the things that the Labour party got wrong be prepared for us to mention all the nasty things that the Maggot and Cameron got wrong.

Totally agree Red, I've no problem with topics moving slightly and never berate somebody for doing it. Do I believe labour got it wrong in Eastleigh, yes. Did the tories get it wrong, Yes. The only real winners publicity wise was UKIP and on this occasion I was extremely happy that the main stream parties got a bloody nose.

Your the one that brought Thatcher into the topic Ivan.

LOL. Really? Did I post this on 18 February, or was it you?

Lets see, the man who wished the Argies had beaten us in the Falklands, the man that wished Thatcher had been blown up.

And then we had this ridiculous and illogical assertion:-

As such you opened the door for Blair to be added.

Blair has no relevance whatsover to the topic of the Eastleigh by-election. Thatcher does because ‘The Daily Mail’ dredged up a candidate’s thought about her from 29 years ago, an issue which you were so quick to bring up (even if you now have amnesia).

The only real winners publicity wise was UKIP

Yes, isn’t it wonderful that a party which put out a leaflet saying that “3 million Bulgarians are on their way to Eastleigh” (when there are only 7.5 million in the whole of Bulgaria) did so well?

Have you forgotten the lies that ALL the parties propagate to gain support Ivan?

tlttf wrote:Totally agree Red, I've no problem with topics moving slightly and never berate somebody for doing it. Do I believe labour got it wrong in Eastleigh, yes. Did the tories get it wrong, Yes. The only real winners publicity wise was UKIP and on this occasion I was extremely happy that the main stream parties got a bloody nose.

This was my thread tittf and would be upset if Ivan and the moderator had to shut it down because someone stupidity it will die its own death because of the topic as Eastleigh for now is over until the next G.E, you must understand that if this Incompetent gov't make mistakes we will take them to task, as for the three main parties getting a bloody nose you need to check your facts tittf Eastleigh has always been Tory or L/D seat and just so you have your facts correct the Labour party increased its vote by 0./02% not a lot but the Tories and the L/Ds lost some of there voters hence the rise in UKIP vote.

I was in Eastleigh and spoke a great number of people who said they would put a clothes peg on their nose and vote L/D to keep the Tories out but would not vote L/Ds in a general election, on the Friday morning 1st March I spoke to a gent who had been misinformed that UKIP had won the seat at Eastleigh and he was cock-a-hoop saying now we will be out of the EU until I put him right on the true winners of the Eastleigh seat, so what in Gods name are the UKIP telling its voters to get them to vote UKIP LIES so they are no different to the other parties going by your post.

As you seem to think its alright to blame Labour tittf for everything that goes wrong

Redflag...Just like you blame the Tories for everything that goes wrong....What's good for the goose etc

blueturando wrote:

As you seem to think its alright to blame Labour tittf for everything that goes wrong

Redflag...Just like you blame the Tories for everything that goes wrong....What's good for the goose etc

That is the problem EXACTLY blue, the left have to take the blame for EVERYTHING while if we put the blame where it belongs we are accused of being bias, its the same when you lot cast up what the Labour party got wrong in there 13 years in power but when we cast up the things that the Thatcher gov't got wrong like her "Right to Buy" which is now causing so many problems for people because instead of putting the money from these homes to buy back into building more council homes it went into the back pocket of friends of the Tory party. Take a look at todays Daily Mirror story on page 6&7 about how Tory Ministers have over 40 council homes bought durign this time and now his son is letting them out at EXORBITANT rent so do not get on your High Horse regarding the Labour party.

I read it and there of plenty of buy to let landlords who have done similar...not that I think it's right though. Off subject but the right to buy scheme was and is a very good one, but only if the proceeds were used to build more social housing...and it wasn't, that's why the scheme has failed in many ways.

PS...I will get on my high horse about Labour whenever I like. Lets face it, all the main political parties give us lots to moan about and your blind faith in Labour certainly doesn't make them any better or worse that the others at all

From Argentina to Council Houses, through Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan in a single day on a single thread.

The Whole World is here ..........!

blueturando wrote:

As you seem to think its alright to blame Labour tittf for everything that goes wrong

Redflag...Just like you blame the Tories for everything that goes wrong....What's good for the goose etc

Not everything. Even the Tories can't help the weather.

Although corporate greed is fuelling global warming...

So yep, everything it is.

blueturando wrote:I read it and there of plenty of buy to let landlords who have done similar...not that I think it's right though. Off subject but the right to buy scheme was and is a very good one, but only if the proceeds were used to build more social housing...and it wasn't, that's why the scheme has failed in many ways.

http://t.co/QJNUk9Ti47 - 1/3 of ex-council homes now belong to private landlords.

I actually agree with you, blue, for the most part. Allowing the purchase of social housing would be a great idea if it's sold at full market price and the proceeds have to be reinvested in new social housing - since building a house usually costs less than the purchase price it would be a good way to fund new social housing. One good way - insufficient on its own, but a good contribution.

The problem is that's not what happens - and it's exploited by the unscrupulous to get even richer, as the article shows.

blueturando wrote:I read it and there of plenty of buy to let landlords who have done similar...not that I think it's right though. Off subject but the right to buy scheme was and is a very good one, but only if the proceeds were used to build more social housing...and it wasn't, that's why the scheme has failed in many ways.

PS...I will get on my high horse about Labour whenever I like. Lets face it, all the main political parties give us lots to moan about and your blind faith in Labour certainly doesn't make them any better or worse that the others at all

Yes there is others that are private landlords that are over charging for rental accomadation but because most of them are Tory Ministers NOTHING will be done by this gov't when by rights they should be putting a cap on what can be charged, that is part of the reason why the Welfare bill is so high people in work are having to get help from the tax payer.

PSPS Just the same reason I will get on my high horse WHENEVER this Incompetent gov't get it wrong, when the normal man on the street is having to pay for the bloody B(W)ankers UTTER GREED, and of course Diddy Giddy is in Europe trying to protect them at this moment scared stiff in case they quit the UK as that will be a loss to the Tory party funds. Your avatar has your mouth covered up I tend to think its really across your eyes, come 2015 general election we will seee who is rigfht and who the voters put in No10.

Any further thoughts about the sale of council housing would make interesting reading on this thread, please:-

https://cuttingedge2.forumotion.co.uk/t750-has-the-right-to-buy-and-lack-of-rent-controls-caused-most-of-the-uks-housing-problems

I am sorry I could not send a daily report from Eastleigh but things where hectic from first thing in the morning until around 7-8 o'clock at night myself and others where out delivering leaflets or knocking doors

REDFLAG.....Just interested to know what you were saying to people as you knocked on their doors. Were you just slagging off the coalition or did you and Labour have something to offer the voters of Eastleigh?

And what were you telling the voters of Eastleigh about Labour when you were campaigning at the door Redflag?

blueturando wrote:And what were you telling the voters of Eastleigh about Labour when you were campaigning at the door Redflag?

That is too easy blue, "THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF VOTING FOR JOHN O'FARRELL" pointing out the record of this coalition gov't which a flastlining economy and there intension of making the low paid and poor pay for the FIVE BANKS disgusting greed and bail out of 2008. After reports today that Osbourn was in Brussels fighting for the Greedy bankers so that they keep there HUMUNGOUS bonuses or they will leave the UK, EFFING let them and see if there is another country that will bail them out "WHEN" and they will sooner or later come with cap in hand looking for another bail out this comes from a top Economist.

A good politicians answer Redflag...IE Not answering the question. There is a future for you yet in the Labour Party.

My Question was....What did you tell the voters about what Labour could do for them??? Please try and have another go now....cheers

I will try and help you out a little Red....UKIP had a clear voice on what their message is and are happy to shout about in. What was Labours message? Surely you were briefed before you knocked on potential voters doors

blueturando wrote:

I am sorry I could not send a daily report from Eastleigh but things where hectic from first thing in the morning until around 7-8 o'clock at night myself and others where out delivering leaflets or knocking doors

REDFLAG.....Just interested to know what you were saying to people as you knocked on their doors. Were you just slagging off the coalition or did you and Labour have something to offer the voters of Eastleigh?

Tea, Sympathy... Y'know the normal stuff that the ENTIRE UK have needed since MAY 2010. With the record of the economy under there watch there notable representation going before them there was not a lot of words needed.

Tea, Sympathy? Wow I think I will change to Labour now. Good to know what you're fighting for Redflag

blueturando wrote:A good politicians answer Redflag...IE Not answering the question. There is a future for you yet in the Labour Party.

My Question was....What did you tell the voters about what Labour could do for them??? Please try and have another go now....cheers

I will try and help you out a little Red....UKIP had a clear voice on what their message is and are happy to shout about in. What was Labours message? Surely you were briefed before you knocked on potential voters doors

No we came with a large Tea urn lots of sympathy and a rare notion that I doubt you will have heard of ~ THE TRUTH... It was considered a far better strategy to just recall the past 3 years of Damage done to the UK by the current fuster cluck of a coalition... The Pen is mightier than the sword as the saying goes and nothing quiet packs a punch in the nuts as the truth...

I get you wont understand this answer as the concept within is more than likely is alien to you, but this should be an appropriate answer to your question so you wont have to keep rehashing your post to start an argument!

blueturando wrote:Tea, Sympathy? Wow I think I will change to Labour now. Good to know what you're fighting for Redflag

I also asked if they could remember Scam..er..ons promises on the run up too the 2010 general election along with Cleggies and in their opinion had they both kept their promises the majority of people gave me and others a "Resounding No". As for you joining the Labour party blue they are very fussy who they let join!!!

So what I can gather from you Redflag is that this is what Labour has to offer the voters...





Sweet FA then

Quality stuff.

blueturando wrote:UKIP had a clear voice on what their message is and are happy to shout about in.

Which was '3 million Bulgarians are coming to Eastleigh!', as I understand it.