Less than one per cent voted sensibly!

Sensible?

Which is the most sensible way to vote? 

Just days before the General Election, if you were commuting along the Purley Way, on the border of Sutton, you would have seen a spectacular piece of graffiti on a billboard just opposite Waddon Retail Park. It read: VOTE SENSIBLY FOR BRITAIN. It was such a piece of unblemished art, I almost believe someone paid for the billboard space.

I stood in Carshalton and Wallington - a Lib Dem/Tory marginal seat. In this constituency voting sensibly is very much subjective:

• Vote LIB DEM to keep the Conservative Matthew Maxwell-Scott out! Sensible score 5/5

• Vote LIB DEM to keep Theresa May out because she is awful! Sensible score 5/5

• Vote TORY to stop Lib Dem Tom Brake - a cheerleader for Sutton council! Sensible score 5/5

• Vote TORY if you are a UKIP voter - that's who UKIP Sutton endorse! Sensible score 5/5

• Vote LABOUR if Jeremy Corbyn excites you and ignore two horse race! Sensible score 5/5

• Vote INDEPENDENT whistleblowing anti-incinerator Cllr Nick Mattey! Sensible score 5/5

• Vote GREEN for the guy who risked his house to stoptheincinerator.co.uk Sensible score 5/5

Above are all sensible ways to vote in Carshalton and Wallington. Some are tactical. Some are not. I came across a number of voters when knocking on doors, leaning towards one of the options above.

However, many of these very same voters were contemplating whether there might be a more sensible option. At times I felt like a counsellor as I listened to them pore over what was running through their mind.

I came across Green voters (and even the odd Green Party member) who were thinking of voting LIB DEM to keep the Tory out. Green Party talk of progressive alliances and standing down in constituencies had changed the thought processes of those who would normally put 'X' by Green party. Zoe Williams has gone as far as saying Greens "effectively committed electoral hari-kiri for the sake of opposing the Conservatives."

Big thanks to Maeve Tomlinson - my agent.

At 3:29am on 9th June the Returning officer, Niall Bolger, read out the result privately to agents and candidates just before the official declaration. Maeve scribbled the numbers below. Niall wasn't pausing for anyone.

Result

Result on BBC web site

Conclusion:

Green vote was squeezed by all of the above valid sensible scenarios.

Footnote:

The declaration was a nonsense. I contacted Sutton Guardian about this. Those who were watching the coverage on TV (still from BBC London News above) might have thought all the candidates had gone to the pub to discuss if people had indeed voted sensibly.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Interview on St Helier Radio

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Campaigning in Redhill West and Meadvale

Last Saturday I joined many others in Redhill for a full day of campaigning for Rob Jarrett the Green Party candidate for Redhill West and Meadvale. After arriving I was given materials and sent out to canvass in the estate around Colman Way area.

Many issues came up on the doorstep including the lack of car parking space,  the hike in council tax attributed to adult social care and recycling bins not being collected.

The Green Party candidate finished second behind the Conservatives 2013 and I do think people were surprised by this when I told them, and actually enthused to vote Green to get the Tory out.

I had chance to take picture with Caroline Lucas who also came out to help Rob win the seat.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

How to handle dog poo.

Nothing beats that 'feeling' of stepping in dog poo. That immense grief is something we've all experienced. Yes of course  there are bigger issues to discuss in the forthcoming county council election, but the relatively small issue of  unscooped dog poo left by irresponsible dog owners, be it on a pavement, playground or field, is something that is a bother to us all.

The division of Banstead, Woodmansterne and Chipstead is blessed with miles and miles of beautiful countryside. However, good walks can be spoilt by unscooped dog poo. A number of local residents have mentioned the poo on view in the fields behind Lakers Rise. I have to confess the levels of poo are almost a disincentive to actually go for a walk in that area.

Like many mums and dads walking to the local school with their kids, I find myself having to keep an eye on dog poo on the pavements. Then one mum suggested there needed to be an easier way to alert us all of unscooped dog poo. Her light-hearted suggestion was a hi-vis paint, administered via an aerosol can, that can be sprayed directly on to the dog poo.

The idea shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. If you think about it, yes there are potential fines for irresponsible dog owners that should act as a deterrent, but enforcement is practically non-existent, especially when the police are experiencing cuts and other resource limitations.

ARE 'POO FLAGS' THE ANSWER?

Then I heard about a Brighton man who had bought over 100 'poo flags' on eBay and planted each one in a dog poo he found in a piece of green space outside his home. What is more, the local authority supports his scheme!

I wonder what people would think if I bought some flags and did the same in the fields behind Lakers Rise??

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Tags greenparty