I was invited to the launch of the Conservative campaign last Friday, held in the upstairs room of Cucina Cafe (built as the former Gas showrooms in the 1960s by John Poulson).
I have a strong dislike of political parties based on experiences back in the 1970s, when my Dad Neil turned his local no hope seat around to within a handful of votes, at which point the local party snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by parachuting in a party hopeful (who did even worse than the paper candidate who preceded Neil). Parties trample over people and the politics of the schoolyard abound.
Seeing the Tories in action thirty years later, I suspect that not a lot has changed in the Committee rooms, although they are no longer smoke filled.
The launch evening featured four of the five local prospective Councillors, the leader of the Conservative Group on Leeds City Council (whom I heckled!) and, eventually, Antony Calvert, the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. I’ve met Antony several times and he stands up to my robust challenges very well, being an increasingly rare breed- a Libertarian Conservative.
The surprise event of recent local politics was fiercely independent Stewart McArdle announcing he was to stand as a Tory in nearby Ardsley & Robin Hood. Whilst he isn’t big on speeches or self-aggrandisement, he held his own with an off the cuff speech considerably more interesting than his predecessors.
Morley & Outwood is going to be very much in the eye of the Press over the next three weeks; it is a new seat and whilst on paper it is a Labour 9,000 majority safe seat, Calvert is being quite well received in Morley (for a Tory) and the Bookies odds are getting closer.
Antony is keen for me to put up a Poster, but Karen distrusts all politicians as being all as bad as each other. So, between us, we have come to a workable compromise…
Hi
Not sure if the betting odds have changed! Betfair has Antony at 5/4, but the other candidates odds have also got smaller. The BBC just said that Antony is 4/1.
As for Antony being a Libertarian Conservative, does he also tell ex Labour voters that he believes in helping the poor?
Same chalet, some years ago.
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/468xAny/r/q/m/Butlins_1b_ready.jpg
http://order-order.com/2010/04/13/some-arent-so-keane/
Phew! good job that girl buggered Antony’s intro music that night then?
Nigel, I mean the betting odds have changed over the last year, from rank outsider to possible contender.
If AC doesn’t have a libertarian streak in him he has done a pretty good job of fooling myself and PJ.
Billy B, that lady must be the size of Ronnie Corbett and she is probably called Wendy after her house.
Shaky Paps, AC told me that he was going to be played on by a Keane song but I had an Ultravox Vienna moment. (This means nothing to me…)