On the stump 3

An interesting day out talking to "real" people - sometimes get a little shaken by the fact that (going by previous election results) there are several thousand Conservative votes out there and am occasionally a little shaken when I come across what we refer to as a "hard Tory"

It goes something like this

"Hello, I'm SG blah... is there anything you would like to ask...

"You're wasting your time" (at this point either the body language is highly defensive or the door is on its way to being shut - and there may have been other signs along the way such as those mustard coloured trousers beloved of Tory men or an anti hunting poster)

"So you'll be voting Labour at the General election then"

The angry glint in the eye and the rapid shutting of the door is all you need to know that this is a hardened Tory.

Political animals are relatively easy to deal with and it is the religious types who pose the biggest problems.

It was on my first campaign trail (as a councillor) that I came across my first Jehovah's Witness
to be confronted by

"I do like what you do but I am afraid that I won't be voting"

"Oh, can you tell me why that is please"

"I'm afraid that my candidate isn't standing so I won't be voting for anyone"

It transpired that her candidate was Jesus and I know that politicicans are supposed to have a certain streak of arrogance but I can't compete with that.


That said - the most worrying conversation today was with someone who seemed to think that I didn't fit in with "God's higher plan"even though she recognised that I had done a good job for local people. This God thing puzzles me because I know that there are a group of parliamentareians who worship together regularly. Presumably they have something significant in common but I have to say that this group is made up of politicians of all partys. None of us has the monopoly on God.