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Hustings meetings


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Anyone been along to a hustings meeting? Went to my first one last night and it was pretty interesting and entertaining. As well as the lab/con/snp/lib/green, there was a communist and a legalise cannabis guy.

The Labour guy was pretty awful,, claiming that he never voted for the Iraq war, only for the Snp candidate to read out the exact resolution that he'd voted for.
He was heckled throughout, and didn't handle it well.
SNP candidate said all the right things, esp the anti austerity/ anti trident , and sounds like she'd make a good MP.
Lib Dem was just out of uni, and didn't say much, apart from regretting the tuition fee stance of his party
Tory was pretty poor, complaining that a school building needed replaced - the building is actually due to be replaced next year.
The green made a few good points, in particular the disgrace that is happening in the Mediterranean at the moment.
Communist made communist suggestions in a very communist way, although she did make stronger points against the SNP than any of the others
cannabis guy was amusing in the way he turned every question into promoting cannabis - build houses from hemp, etc.

On the way out some labour guys in front were raging about the number of SNP supporters that were there at the previous nights meeting. Presume they were there also, and just pissed off at their impending defeat.

Overall a good couple of hours, and I'd recommend going along to a meeting if you get a chance

ETA Actually found the bit with John Robertson lying on youtube. If there's anyone considering voting Labour in Glasgow North West...

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Went to one last week for Glasgow South which was done in conjunction with Common Weal. The audience was at least 50% SNP and I recognised a good few from when I helped out with Yes. Smaller number of Labour and really hard to work out if there many genuinely undecided.

Sitting mp, labour's Tom Harris spoke like a man who has been an MP for a while and a former minister. The content was largely labour sound bites with predictable attacks on the SNP. Only time we saw real emotion was after effectively defending Israel and being heckled he got redder and redder, shaking his head as others attacked Israel (SNP guy said if it looks like apartheid that's what he'll call it, which Harris really didn't like.

SNP candidate Stewart McDonald thankfully came across very well. Started with a few too many SNP sound bites but spoke passionately on a number of topics with real knowledge too. Threw in some good local knowledge and you could imagine him being a proper constituency mp. Got one of the biggest round of applauses for his comments on TTIP.

Lib dem guy was interesting as seemed likely he became a candidate by mistake. Had a few interesting things to say but seemed to often to view the audience as idiots who clearly didn't understand reality like him. By the end even he seemed bored by himself and will be lucky to retain his deposit.

Tory guy was a young student who had been leader of the youth parliament so spoke ok and knew his stuff even if nobody cared. Highlights were claiming the Tories were the compassionate party and bringing up thatcher as a positive, despite disagreeing with everything he stood for the respect for having the balls to say that in Glasgow.

Green guy was good and generally got a good reception while the TUC guy got probably the best responses from the crowd after the SNP. It would be interesting to see what a well promoted socialist party could achieve in 2016 if given a chance by the media.

Overall glad I went. Confirmed my view on Harris as a blairite character who presumed this was a seat for life and delighted that the SNP candidate was not just adequate but convincing and impassioned

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Went to one last week for Glasgow South which was done in conjunction with Common Weal. The audience was at least 50% SNP and I recognised a good few from when I helped out with Yes. Smaller number of Labour and really hard to work out if there many genuinely undecided.

Sitting mp, labour's Tom Harris spoke like a man who has been an MP for a while and a former minister. The content was largely labour sound bites with predictable attacks on the SNP. Only time we saw real emotion was after effectively defending Israel and being heckled he got redder and redder, shaking his head as others attacked Israel (SNP guy said if it looks like apartheid that's what he'll call it, which Harris really didn't like.

SNP candidate Stewart McDonald thankfully came across very well. Started with a few too many SNP sound bites but spoke passionately on a number of topics with real knowledge too. Threw in some good local knowledge and you could imagine him being a proper constituency mp. Got one of the biggest round of applauses for his comments on TTIP.

Lib dem guy was interesting as seemed likely he became a candidate by mistake. Had a few interesting things to say but seemed to often to view the audience as idiots who clearly didn't understand reality like him. By the end even he seemed bored by himself and will be lucky to retain his deposit.

Tory guy was a young student who had been leader of the youth parliament so spoke ok and knew his stuff even if nobody cared. Highlights were claiming the Tories were the compassionate party and bringing up thatcher as a positive, despite disagreeing with everything he stood for the respect for having the balls to say that in Glasgow.

Green guy was good and generally got a good reception while the TUC guy got probably the best responses from the crowd after the SNP. It would be interesting to see what a well promoted socialist party could achieve in 2016 if given a chance by the media.

Overall glad I went. Confirmed my view on Harris as a blairite character who presumed this was a seat for life and delighted that the SNP candidate was not just adequate but convincing and impassioned

That Tory candidate is an old friend of a friend. Nice guy, but you're right about him being a raging Thatcherite.

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Was at the Strathpeffer one the other night, Charles Kennedy, Ian Blackford and the tories, greens and labour were there.

Blackford was excellent and clearly got the best reception.

Kennedy was sober :o and spoke well but same old shite.

The Tory wifie spoke well but talked shite and got heckled a few times.

The Labour wifie was well intentioned and had some decent points, admitting she disagreed with Labour on Trident, but didn't speak well.

The Greens wifie was absolutely embarrassing. Mumbled, went on long rambles without answering the question, and was cut off by the moderator, surely to save further embarrassment. She looked so out of her depth it was unbelievable.

It was good to be at. Had a private chat with Blackford after it, as well as Kennedy (to have a go).

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Wasn't at the one in Irvine, but have listened to it. It's online at Irvine Beat FM

Tory guy never turned up and they sent Brian Whittle in his place. He was either a ) not toeing the Tory line or b ) was a total lying b*****d and was only trying to grab a few votes by pretending to be nice. He's Tory Candidate in Killie. Lucky he's a 400m runner as he will be able to make a quick getaway after having canvassed Longpark

Donohoe went radge at one point when questioned about his expenses. Just being Donohoe though. To be fair to him he did a lot better than I expected.

Lib Dem was a mumbling, bumbling no mark, with absolutely no debating skills. Obviously fits in well with the party

Green...Meh

Philippa wiped the floor with them all :) (But I would say that though. Listen if you don't believe me)

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I've spoken at a couple now, including one at St Ninian's High and Newton Mearns Baptist Church.

At the first one I was accused by a member of the audience afterwards of being morally equivalent to Pol Pot for supporting a woman's right to choose.

The second one was last night and was great. The format was a lot more relaxed, they got some young folk to ask questions and it focused less on debating specific policy disagreements and more about what informs the values of the candidates. A number of folk approached me afterwards saying they were more open to voting Lib Dem after listening to me so that was good to hear.

Jim Murphy likes my car. If nothing else comes of this election, that's one for the autobiography...

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I've spoken at a couple now, including one at St Ninian's High and Newton Mearns Baptist Church.

At the first one I was accused by a member of the audience afterwards of being morally equivalent to Pol Pot for supporting a woman's right to choose.

She is correct of course its just the reasoning is wrong.

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The second one was last night and was great. The format was a lot more relaxed, they got some young folk to ask questions and it focused less on debating specific policy disagreements and more about what informs the values of the candidates. A number of folk approached me afterwards saying they were more open to voting Lib Dem after listening to me so that was good to hear.

You did nudge up from 2% to 3% in Ashcroft's most recent poll of the constituency.

#Progress

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You did nudge up from 2% to 3% in Ashcroft's most recent poll of the constituency.

#Progress

50% increase in support since my candidacy was announced. Fastest rate of growth for any party standing in East Renfrewshire.

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I've spoken at a couple now, including one at St Ninian's High and Newton Mearns Baptist Church.

At the first one I was accused by a member of the audience afterwards of being morally equivalent to Pol Pot for supporting a woman's right to choose.

The second one was last night and was great. The format was a lot more relaxed, they got some young folk to ask questions and it focused less on debating specific policy disagreements and more about what informs the values of the candidates. A number of folk approached me afterwards saying they were more open to voting Lib Dem after listening to me so that was good to hear.

Jim Murphy likes my car. If nothing else comes of this election, that's one for the autobiography...

You have things in common with Alex Salmond now. Another one for the autobiography

How many dictators do you reckon you will be likened to over the course of your political career?

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I've spoken at a couple now, including one at St Ninian's High and Newton Mearns Baptist Church.

At the first one I was accused by a member of the audience afterwards of being morally equivalent to Pol Pot for supporting a woman's right to choose.

The second one was last night and was great. The format was a lot more relaxed, they got some young folk to ask questions and it focused less on debating specific policy disagreements and more about what informs the values of the candidates. A number of folk approached me afterwards saying they were more open to voting Lib Dem after listening to me so that was good to hear.

Jim Murphy likes my car. If nothing else comes of this election, that's one for the autobiography...

Can we find any of these online?! I've watched a couple of hustings on YouTube from a few constituencies as that's what I choose to do with my life.

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There was another in Central Ayrshire yesterday morning, organised by the Ayrshire Chambers of Commerce. Wasn't a public one though.

I asked this morning how it went. The response

First Donohoe lost his head. Then he lost both his arms and then his legs.

I took from that it didn't go well for Brian Harold :(

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